Join Us at Make Mine a Million (M3 1000) In Denver

On Monday, April 4, 2011, please joinSmall Business Trendsat the Make Mine a Million– M3 1000 Conference.  The day promises to be a combination of educational sessions, inspiring keynotes, along with the opportunity for 250 women business owners to“pitch” their businesses.

Pitch sessions

Ready to be one of the 250 women to pitch and compete for prizes at the next M3 1000 event?  Meet the criteria and pitch your business for a chance to“make yours a million.”  That phrase stands for getting your small business to the $1 Million per year mark.

This event is designed for businesses with current revenues between  $85,000– $700,000, that are ready to grow your business to a million dollars within the next 18-36 months.

Note:  you can also attend without pitching your business.

Educational sessions

In addition to pitch opportunities, this event also includes speakers and breakout educational sessions.  Lisa Price, Founder and CEO of Carol’s Daughter, the maker of natural haircare products, will deliver a keynote.

American Express OPEN, our long time sponsor, has asked me to attend to cover the action at the event, and also to share some of my knowledge about using social media to grow a  business.  I will be holding 4 breakout sessions on how to develop expert status and promote your business using social media such as Twitter, Facebook,LinkedIn and others.

This kind of event can be inspiring to women business owners committed to growing their businesses.  The $1 Million mark in annual revenues continues to be a kind of glass ceiling for many women business owners.  Their businesses grow but may stall before they reach 7 figures in annaual revenues.  That’s why education and inspiration are so critical.

If you attend, please stop by and say“hello.”  I always love to hear from you and meet when I’m traveling to other cities.   Register here.

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Small Business News: Social Media Brand

What is your social media brand? Do you have one? Sure, many small business owners and entrepreneurs are coming around to the enormous importance of social media as a marketing, customer service, and, yes, even sales tool. But if you haven’t thought about how social media can define your brand, you are probably missing a HUGE part of what social media tools can do for your business. Here’s more…

Tools& Techniques

Creating a great brand with these blog tools. Tools that improve the look and functionality of your blog also improve your brand. A well-maintained small business blog is one of the most obvious and least expensive branding tools at the entrepreneur’s disposal even more so than social media channels like Facebook and Twitter because of how a blog can be customized to fit your needs and personality. This list of tools is a great way to start. EpicLaunch

What Nicole“Snooki” Polizzi can teach you about social media. One of the stars of the hit reality show“Jersey Shore”,“Snooki” is a perfect example of personal brand, but social media entrepreneurs could also learn much about building their own online presence from Snooki. Being yourself and using a simple, short tag to indelibly brand your identity are also great techniques in social media. One site is already trying to apply the starlets techniques in the social media space. Brand-Yourself

Tito Philips doesn’t want your comments on his blog! At least, not if they’re the wrong kind. And the wrong kind would be comments left for no other purpose than to get the blogger and his/her readers to visit your blog and perhaps comment on it in return. Why is comment trading bad? Don’t get Tito started! There are many ways to engage in social media marketing. Be sure you understand and respect some of the attitudes you may face.Blogging Bookshelf  

News& Trends

The best of the best. Want to get a look at arguably the 20 best Facebook fan pages for business on the planet? By now you should know the value of a Facebook fan page to your branding efforts. What’s also true, however, is that not all Facebook sites are created equal. If you want to take your social media marketing to the next level, have a look at this list of cream of the crop sites.Inc.com

Even churches use social media marketing! In this article on the growing market for tech services among religious organizations, we learn that many churches have also already entered into the social media space. As houses of worship, particularly huge mega-churches, expand and build congregations, it’s easy to see how social media can work as a marketing tool here as well. Is your religious organization using social media for branding?WSJ

Tips& Tricks

20 tips that will make you a Twitter star. Among the tools popular in the new digital space is Twitter. The microblogging platform can be used for business or non-business purposes and it can be the key to your small business’s success. Learn how to use Twitter like a pro and you may be surprised at the benefits your small business gains as a result.Global Copywriting

Valuable lessons in social media. Gary Vaynerchuk, author ofThe Thank You Economyand a successful social media entrepreneur in his own right, has many insights to share with small business leaders seeking a new way to define their brands in an age of social communications. Read some of the takeaways Vaynerchuk shares with those trying to define their businesses with social media.E-Marketing Associates

Success Stories

Doubt the power of FB to create brand for almost anyone? You won’t after you read the story of Princeton English Professor Jeff Nunokawa and“Jeffbook”, a collection of 3,221 brief literary essays on Facebook, that have created an incredible cult status for Nunokawa in the process. His motivation? Not too different from those of most marketers. Nunokawa simply started sharing where he knew his audience already spent lots of their time. The results speak for themselves.Fast Company

Increase exposure with niche social media. Blogger Mavis Nong talks about the importance of niche social media sites including social bookmarking sites as a key method of creating exposure for your online business. Mavis talks about her experience with our sister site BizSugar.com (thanks for the shout out!) and explains how smaller more focused social sites can sometimes have a surprising impact even larger than the big guys.Attraction Marketing Online

Opportunities

Sponsors wanted for new SugarTone Sweet Business Blogging Contest. Put the power of social media to work for your brand. We’re looking for sponsors to help with a brand new blogging contest involving two of the fastest growing small business communities on the Web, BizSugar.com and Bloggertone.com. Learn more about the contest by reading the full announcement and get in touch today!BizSugar Blog

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Play to strengths in government contracting

A few weeks ago I met Janice Hamilton (pictured left), the president and CEO of JMH Education, based in New York.  I caught up with Janice at the Give Me 5 luncheon to highlight theWomen Owned Small Business ruleadopted by the SBA effective February 2011.  (SeeKaren-Michelle Mirko’s accountof this historic event, and myFacebook photo albumfrom the lunch.)

JMH Educationis in the business of education marketing.  They help corporations, associations and government agencies“reach and teach”— meaning, they make important messages easy to understand by large numbers of the public.  They also help organizations“market” their messages to the public.

Even though JMH Education is a relatively small company of 12 people, the company has been involved in several high-profile public education campaigns. For instance, one of their projects isSmokey the Bear(about forest fire safety).

JMH is a poster child of a woman-owned small business that has seen success from getting on the GSA schedule, and delivering on government contracts.

In the following interview, Janice shares her insights on being a small business and what it takes to successfully get U.S. government contracts.

How did you get into government contracting?

Janice Hamilton:We got into government contracting by doing a really good job with a client that was a public-private consortium, getting the food safety message out.  One of the people from the public sector saw the work we did and liked it and wanted to use us.  But we weren’t on the GSA Schedule.  They encouraged us to get on the GSA Schedule. We didn’t know what we were getting into {laughs}.  Yet, it’s been terrific over the last 12 years.

How do you decide which government opportunities to go after?

Janice Hamilton:We work to our strengths.  We identify those agencies that fit the strengths of our company.  We play to our strengths of health and wellness, environment, and financial literacy – and then it’s a natural.  We don’t go off and try to get contracts in areas that don’t fit our capabilities, that don’t fit our strengths, because you’re just spinning your wheels on proposals.  There are a gazillion others out there that might fit.

What’s the secret of your success in government contracting?

Janice Hamilton:We got in a little easy, because we were asked.  But you know, it isn’t that easy to stay in government contracting.  You have to work at it … make those relationships … keep those relationships on an ongoing basis … and make sure your work is stellar.  By doing that, we’ve had one agency recommend us to another.  And then anothergroup will see what we’ve done.  We’ve now done work with FDA,USDA,  CDC and NIH— and it continues to grow.

Relationships, relationships, relationships.  That’s so important.  Relationships with the contracting officer.  Relationships with the program managers.  Relationships with the ombudsmen.

Build those relationships.  People like to do business with people they know, people they like.

But it’s also really important to get a good portfolio of past performance to show you can deliver what you say.

How large is your company?

Janice Hamilton:Our company is relatively small– we have 12 people.  We’re small but we’re mighty!  So you don’t have to be a big company.  But one thing we do is, when we see business that is partially in our space, we work with a strategic partner that can help fill out those needs.  That’s how we’ve gotten some of our big contracts.  We couldn’t have done it alone.  The teaming, the strategic partnerships – they’re very important.

Has government contracting helped your business grow?

Janice Hamilton:We’ve certainly grown through government contracting.  But one of the most important things is that it has allowed us to continue being a viable company through the economic downturn.  We were able to continue doing government work when the corporate and association work was slim.  Having that mix was extraordinarily important to us.

You mentioned that you stick to your company’s core competencies.  Was that a tough lesson to learn? Did you have a hard time at first saying “no”?

Janice Hamilton:Yes! Very definitely.  We would see business in other agencies that we knew we could do.  But they weren’t looking at the competence we had in taking an intricate message and breaking it down to be easily understood by a large group.  Instead, the government agency wanted us to have done somethingpreviously in the particular field or content area, for instance, in oceanography.  We had a great concept, and great strategic partners.  But that wasn’t enough.  We learned to stick to what we know.  And just in the FDA and USDA alone there are so many agencies we can work with, and we havegood past performance, so … {opportunities are plentiful}.

You recently won an award– tell us about that:

Janice Hamilton:We were nominated by WIPP for the American Express OPEN Victory In Procurement award.  We were named the “Government Contractor of the Year.”  It was just awesome and very exciting and such a great tribute to the dedication of my team, who want to do great work.

One thing about the small business market is that employees in small businesses tend to identify more personally with customers.  They are closer to customers, than perhaps in a large corporation where they may never deal with customers. So does the award mean a great deal to your team?

Janice Hamilton:Oh, yes, that award meant a great deal to them.  To be nominated to begin with – it feels like the Academy Awards.  And then to be recognized by two stellar organizations such as American Express OPEN and WIPP!  You know, it’s to say “hey, we worked hard and, by gosh, it pays off.”  And the team also does what they do because they really love it.  They feel like they are making a difference in people’s lives.

Thank you, Janice Hamilton, for sharing your insights into growing your business through government contracts.

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Small Business News: Evolution Revolution

Small business is the final frontier, always changing, always evolving. A new venture is always an adventure and the key to succeeding with an existing business is often to evolve and change with the times. Whether its the use of new technology or the exploration of new markets and new opportunities, small business is often about innovation, revolution and change. Here are some thoughts as you face change and flourish in your new business.

Tech

What’s your small business e-mail marketing sotfware. Choosing the right software for this important function can be tough for a startup small business, especially if you have no previous experience with these services. Here are some thoughts on choosing the best.Suite101.com

How much can you rely on the cloud? Cloud computing is another way for you to take your small business to the next level without the necessity of expensive technology upgrades. But larger more established firms have already started using this technology as well. What can their experience tell us of the pros and cons.Cloud Business Review

Leadership

A whole new look at the leadership question. Alex St. John, president of CTO hi5 challenges conventional wisdom in this“30 Second MBA” and may just change what you think you know about small business and entrepreneurship. Is the world really that filled to brim with visionaries? Take another look.Fast Company

Transformational leadership can be about setting the right goals. Can leadership be simply about setting the goals that inspire others to follow. Indeed, it’s a bit more than that, but this post takes us through a rather unique model for leadership. Do you have the necessary skills?Transformational Leadership

Startup

What hot startups might mean to small business markets. What could three distinct fields in which startups are flourishing this year mean in terms of emerging opportunities for small businesses. Is your small business involved in any of these fields and how could you leverage your expertise to take advantage of the trends.WSJ

Giving Washington ideas. It’s our turn. The White house has been talking to small business people and entrepreneurs and plans to talk to more in an effort to figure out how to power startups and improve the U.S. economy. What’s your idea? What would you suggest? Make your voice heard.Fast Company

Finance

Fueling your exporting ambitions. When looking for new markets to explore and new directions in which to grow, exporting products and services makes a lot of sense. The problem can be finding the funding to make this expansion a reality.Bloomberg Businessweek

Are you taking enough tax deductions? Recent changes in the tax laws particularly added breaks granted to businesses during the recession have become so complicated that it is difficult (if not impossible) to stay on top of them all. How can you make sure you get the breaks you need to allow your business to grow?WSJ

Marketing

Why the days of article marketing are probably numbered. Concentrate more on social media and less on article marketing, suggests Matt Cutts of Google in a video included with this post. Do you use article marketing as part of online marketing? What are your thoughts about the future of article marketing for the future of your business?iBlogZone

Don’t ignore your customers. Isn’t it hard to believe this post even has to be written? Customer service has changed a lot in recent years with heavier competition and the increased speed of communications online. The expectations of your customer have changed a lot too. Make the mistake of thinking they can’t go elsewhere at your own risk, and never let customer problems so unsolved.Game Changer

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Small Business News: More Entrepreneur Tips and Tricks

Back by popular demand, our second day of entrepreneur tips and tricks here in the small business news roundup atSmall Business Trends. These basic tips from some great blogs and other news sources on the Web should help you with your current entrepreneurial ventures or help you begin new ones yet only envisioned. We hope you’ll add tips of your own in the comment section below and thanks again for visiting.

Tools

Free online presentation tools for every entrepreneur. It doesn’t have to cost a lot to create presentations that will wow clients or potential investors. As this post from David Guzman shows, three fantastic presentation tools for entrepreneurs are available free online. So face that next presentation without worry. And with a presentation that rocks.Epic Launch

Strategy

The best question to ask about your business. Is the best question for entrepreneurs to ask when starting a new venture about how to maximize profit while minimizing value or effort? If it is, maybe it shouldn’t be. In a world where the best products or services create fans who do your marketing for you, wouldn’t a better question be how much value you can provide?Seth Godin’s Blog

Self-development

Tips for keeping your business in shape. Much of creating a successful business is knowing how to effectively market. A big part of that, however, is knowing how to stay motivated when marketing and creating a business. So, how do you stay motivated? Well, for John Jantsch, it’s a lot like exercise. Here’s his take.Duct Tape Marketing

Trends

The changing face of entrepreneurship. What does the average entrepreneur look like? What demographic does he/she fit into and how have these statistics been changing. This new chart from the Kauffman Foundation gives some insight. Among the interesting statistics? An explosion in Latino entrepreneurs. Have a look.Bloomberg Businessweek

Marketing

Online marketing tips for your business. One of the key recommendation heard often is the increased importance of video in your marketing and branding efforts online. But this goes beyond just making a video for your Website into the realm of video conferencing and other important emerging trends. Online marketing is a key aspect of entrepreneurship and online video is now an important part of that equation.Small Business Internet Marketing

Startup

How Foursquare helps your brand stand out. There no longer any reason for a small startup to languish in the shadow of bigger even national or multinational brands. With online marketing including blogs, social media, SEO and more, the tools for marketing who you are and what you do has expanded greatly. But did you know one of the most important weapons in that arsenal is a check-in software that might not be first on any one’s list when it comes to branding?Sprout Social Insights

Communications

Things every entrepreneur should know about crafting a message. On a very basic level, marketing yourself and what you do requires the ability to tell others who you are and what you stand for, to create a branding message that builds your business. This is a critical step for any entrepreneur. And here are some steps for you to consider when deciding what form your message should take.Alara Castelle

Finance

A look at small business credit markets. If you are an entrepreneur about to launch a new venture, you may be interested in the availability of financing. Especially if your business model doesn’t qualify as a startup of interest to the VC or angel investment community and yet cannot be easily bootstrapped, here’s a look at the credit market from a broker and start-up entrepreneur who knows.NYTimes.com

Search Engine Optimization

What you need to know about the future of search. We’ve shared before some thoughts on where search is going, particularly as it relates to the world’s largest search engine, Google, but here are some further thoughts looking less at what search marketing for your brand should avoid than what you should aspire to, a guide for getting noticed online.SiteStream

Tech

Gadgets for the solopreneur. Using technology to advance your business can give you a competitive edge even against much larger, well established companies with many more resources. Finding ways to compete has never been easier or more within a small business’s grasp. Look into some of the options that can lead to great improvements in your productivity and ability to compete. Rest assured, your competitors will.smallbiztechnology.com

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They Can Smell Fear

We all know that animals can smell fear and desperation. So can prospects and referral partners. If you want to slam the door on your business, behave with fear or desperation as your primary motivator.

What do I mean by this?Many small business owners and salespeople have their own needs in the forefront of their minds. This focus makes them frame their message from a position of fear. When the owner or salesperson is worried about meeting their financial obligations or is in fear of being fired, they lead with that emotion.

This is really dangerous for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it isn’t the client’s problem whether you can meet payroll or pay your mortgage. They aren’t your partner. To share your situation with them will only make them nervous that you won’t be able to perform. You aren’t going to persuade them to do business with you. Quite the opposite; they will runfrom you. They can’t afford to get into a relationship with a business they fear will vanish soon.

Secondly, prospects buy from people they have confidence in. When you are fearful or desperate, they can smell it– even if you don’t share your problems with them. When they don’t feel confident with what you are telling them, you won’t get the business.

In the same vein, referral partners will not feel comfortable referring you. You will lose your relationships that could be serving your business.  Deb Ng shares a great article on Bizsugar about the impact of desperation on social networks,“6 Ways People Show Desperation on the Social Networks.”

Are you starting to see what happens when you are fearful or desperate?You get the opposite result than the one you need so desperately. You realize what you fear most– failure. No matter where you network, prospect or market, showing fear and desperation is a biz killer.

So, what to do?First of all, move your focus from yourself to your prospect. Concentrate your message on whattheyneed, the value you bring, and how you can help them solve their problem. When we operate from a position of giving, the money comes. You can solve your own problem by helping others solve theirs. When you focus on others you will relax and feel confident. After all, you are confident of the value you bring to your clients, aren’t you? Exactly! And when you act with confidence, others feel it and want to do business with you.

Use your fear to propel you to action–action that is in the best interest of your prospect or client. This action will help you let go of your fear. Remember that when you are fearful you are living in the future. When you take action you are living in the present. The more action you take, the more in the present you are, the more successful you will be.

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Small Business News: Entrepreneur Tips and Tricks

Entrepreneurs must wear many hats. Here are tips for just about all of them. Mastering various aspects of your business is an important aspect of what you do. Keep learning. Keep reading. Let this small business news roundup fromSmall Business Trendsbe your starting point.

Resources

Awesome tools for entrepreneurs. The most successful entrepreneurs have the best toys. It’s not a question of having the most expensive or the flashiest. It’s a question of having the most useful tools to build your business today. Here’s a super list of the tools that will make you most efficient. Do you have any to share?EpicLaunch

Customer Service

Be sure you listen to your feedback. Brand consultant Isabelle Mercier Turcotte talks about one of the most important aspects of entrepreneurship. This is knowing how to react to feedback, including negative feedback, to get your customers to keep coming back. Another tip is getting beyond price with customers or clients.LeapTV

Logistics

Lessons in doing more with less. Entrepreneurs have elevated this to a near art form. In this particular post we look at saving space, a cost cutting measure that actually is beneficial in other important ways. Want to learn more about how sharing space with other entrepreneurs/businesses can benefit everyone?Open Forum

Self-development

Falacies in entrepreneurship. There are may misunderstandings about entrepreneurship and how small businesses work out there. That may be fine for those not trying to start or run their own business. But for those of us involved in entrepreneurship, it would sure help to have a better idea of what’s going on. Here’s to separating fact from fiction. Enjoy!You’re the Boss

Finding your entrepreneurial truth. How do you become the kind of passionate, inspiring business leader you want to be? Maybe by asking yourself some questions about the truth that lies deep within you. Discovering the answers to some key questions about who you are and what you want from life can make all the difference in the world. After all, how can you push for your business goals without knowing more about what you want personally?Building Businesses Creating Brands

Taxes

Tax basics for small businesses/entrepreneurs. Taxes are part of business AND everyone hates them. But understanding how to get them done is an important part of being successful in your business. With a set of instructions that sound like they came from a horror movie, Nicole Fende slashes the toughest aspects of doing your taxes down to a manageable size. Have a look if you dare.Small Business Finance Forum

Tech

Security tips for entrepreneurs. With so much of entrepreneurship these days happening in the tech sector and information entrepreneurship being a significant trend in that sector, securing your data and technology becomes an important issue. If you fail to take the steps to keep your business safe, everything you have created is at risk. Here’s how start thinking about securing your business.smallbiztechnology.com

SEO

How Google can affect your business no matter what you do. Changes in the search engine’s algorithm can have huge impacts on your business unless, of course, your business exists in some strange space completely seperate from the Internet. This post looks at the realities of what that reliance can mean.WebProNews

Education

The future of entrepreneurship education. Check out this detailed coverage including a list of participants and the full panel discussion on video held at Future of Entrepreneurship Education Summit Feb. 18 at the University of Central Florida. It’s our belief that entrepreneurs of all ages should be interested in this issue. Drop by and give a listen.Youngentrepreneur

Management

Trust isn’t just an issue with customers. In fact, it’s your team too with whom you must develop a level of trust. Think about how many aspects of your business will be delegated. Then think of the level of cooperation necessary to sustain momentum and create a business that works. How do you develop relationships that make these interactions second nature? It’s harder than it looks.Success Trek

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Small Business News: Social Media Shakedown

Shakedown as in appraisal not as in coercion is how we will be looking at social media in this roundup. Though the undeniable power of the space for marketing is well known to small businesses who have already started using it, other important aspects like customer service and something called“social commerce” are also about to get much more important. If you want an appraisal of what social media does and will mean to small business in the present and future, come along with us. We think you’ll find it interesting!

Facebook

Not every business needs Facebook? According to this article, based again on a survey showing 60 percent of businesses still have no Facebook page, some businesses (B2B and those concerned about negative publicity) don’t need FB and should probably stay away. Not exactly what we’re hearing from all B2B and reputation management folks. How about you?CBC News

Branding

Want proof that social media can impact brand? Check out this controversial study by a post-doctoral student at Pace University, who claims social media popularity helped him accurately predict stock prices of three major brands over ten months. Not everyone is convinced.PC Magazine

Resources

Entrepreneur offers social media training for small business. There is tremendous demand for this kind of training among small businesses interested in exploiting the incredible tools of social media for their marketing efforts. Is this an opportunity for those able to lend their services to small businesses needing similar training in your area?SFGate

Startups

Making e-commerce social. A Minneapolis firm is seeking to“bridge the gap” between social media and e-commerce starting with efforts to bring an e-commerce application to the Facebook community. See this story from local media reporting on the efforts of 8thBridge and the game changing technology they hope will transform online sales forever. What could the new social commerce environment the company envisions mean to other retailers online?StarTribune.com

Trends

Burlington, New Hampshire new social media capitol? As this clip from a local newscast suggests, social media is hitting mainstream small business in a big way. And some communities are definitely ahead of the curve. Here small business owners cram into a huge auditorium once a month for a social media event with industry leaders. Are businesses in your community hooked in to the use of social media?WCAX.com

Social commerce segment growing. There’s a new term for more traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers and the like) called“legacy media.” And as it happens their slice of total advertising and marketing investment has already and is expected to continue shrinking radically over the coming decade with a bigger and bigger slice of the pie going to social media. Whether your business is in social media itself or whether you spend time and money to promote yourself there, the data shows a clear trend among marketers that should not be ignored.Huffington Post

Tools

Twitter and Facebook put all businesses on even ground. In the end, you shouldn’t be involved in social media marketing because it’s a really cool trend or because everyone else is doing it. You should do it because it is a smart and inexpensive tool that could put you on an even footing with the big guys. What more could you want? What’s your reason for not using this versatile tool?channelinsider

Tech

Survey shows convergence of social media/mobile video ahead. The increasing popularity of social media with an increased interest in mobile video may be an important trend for small business owners interested in capturing customers online may wish to consider. Though the survey focuses largely on mobile video services, results suggest a greater interest in video content served through social media like Facebook and Twitter.BusinessWire

Strategy

If everybody’s doing it, how do you stand out? If you’re wondering how your business or brand can make an impression in a world so full of social media users, consider this. Social media is about relationships with people, and there’s only one of you. Here’s our look at how you can make the individuality of your brand stand out as never before. Are you ready to stand out from the crowd.BizSugar.com

So what makes your message social? One of the most important aspects of making social media work for your small business, is to understand how to get your message across. To this end, consider this video as an example of social marketing at its best, a short simple message that imparts unique information, creates value through that information and even contains a sort of call to action. Oh, and we forgot! Just go ahead and try to fight the urge to share it with a friend. Awesome!The Big Red Tomato Company

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Join Me For: Choosing the RIGHT Online Software

These days, more and more small businesses and entrepreneurs are jumping on the “cloud bandwagon.” And why shouldn’t they?After all, there are several advantages in doing so.   Just think about it. . .  speed of implementation; ability to scale the business despite lacking internal tech expertise; lower costs; relief from tech headaches enabling you to concentrate on strategy and core competencies; and, arguably, fewer security issues you have to worry about.

Those advantages were explored in a webinar I presented on March 9, 2011 titled, “In the Cloud:  5 Reasons to Move to Online Software.”In that webinar, I polled those participating and was pleased to learn that almost 80% are already using cloud apps in the form of online banking.  Significant percentages were using other online software services.  In short, the small biz folk attending seemed to be receptive to online software.

With that in mind, I am delighted to continue the discussion about cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS).  On Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 2:00 pm EST (New York time), I am going to be delving even deeper into this topic in a webinar I’m presenting for the Verizon Small Business Center, called“How to Choose the RIGHT Online Software.”  The information will include:

• Reliability: Is the vendor reliable as a“partner” of sorts?
• Cost: Have you considered“total cost of ownership?”
• Support: Will the support provided meet your needs?
• Integration: Will the App work with existing software?
• Security: Will you be more secure (or less) in the cloud?

Join me there:

WHEN:2PM EST (New York time)

WHERE:Register hereand join me, it’s FREE.  (P.S.  If you can’t make the live webinar, no problem.  It will be taped andarchivedand you can watch the replay.)

TWITTER HASHTAG:#VZSmallBiz

If you’d like to learn even more about online software options“in the cloud,” you can check out theSmall Business Guide to Cloud Computingwhere TJ McCue suggests 16 things you should consider before deciding whether cloud computing is a good match for your business.  Edith Yeung points us to her hand-curated list of101 Small Business Web Applications You Must Check Out.

For even more about online software services, check out:

20 Online Project Management Tools to Boost Your Productivity

33 Highly Useful Presentation Tools

7 Powerful and Free Website Builders for Small Business

8 More Free Website Builder Tools for Small Business

Create Free Banner Ads for Your Small Business

30 Online Invoicing Apps for Small Business

30 Useful Small Business Email Marketing Apps

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Small Business, Entrepreneur, Startup: Which Do You Identify With?

I hear these three terms used interchangeably, but in my mind, they all mean slightly different things. It’s semantics, of course, but here’s my take on what these three words mean.Which do you identify with the most?

Small Business

Wikipedia:A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships. The legal definition of“small” varies by country and by industry, ranging from fewer than 15 employees under the AustralianFair Work Act 2009, 50 employees in the European Union, and fewer than 500 employees to qualify for many U.S. Small Business Administration programs. Small businesses can also be classified according to other methods such as sales, assets, or net profits.

Me:In my mind, small businesses are those boutiques, hair salons, yoga studios, etc. you walk by downtown.“Small business” to me connotes a brick-and-mortar location. Employees are a must, even if it’s your wife and daughter. Small businesses may use more “old school” forms of marketing, like print ads or television commercials, rather than social media and the internet.

You might have a small business if…

• You’re a member of your Chamber of Commerce.
• You have a family business passed down through generations.
• You work 100 percent (or 150 percent) at your small business (it’s your full-time job).
• You sell or manufacture a product.

Entrepreneur

Wikipedia:An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome.The term was originally from the French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to launch a new venture or enterprise and accept full responsibility for the outcome. Jean-Baptiste Say, a French economist, is believed to have coined the word“entrepreneur” in the 19th century– he defined an entrepreneur as“one who undertakes an enterprise, especially a contractor, acting as intermediatory between capital and labour.”

Me:This is the one I most identify with. Entrepreneurs may  have employees, but often go it alone as solopreneurs. They’re willing to take risks for the reward (though maybe not as much as a startup). Entrepreneurs are all about social media, at least the ones I know.

You might be an entrepreneur if…

• The idea of failure doesn’t scare you…too much.
• You use social media to market your business…and do it all yourself.
• You tend to do all the work and have trouble delegating
• You have started more than one business (successfully or not).

Startup

Wikipedia:A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets. The term became popular internationally during the dot-com bubble when a great number of dot-com companies were founded. A high tech startup company is a startup company specialized in a high tech industry.

Me:I definitely think of tech companies when I think of startups, although I see non-tech companies claim the title. To me, startups are like fuses: They light brightly very quickly, but the fuse is short. At the end of it, the startup turns to another form, like part of a corporation that buys it, or it becomes a small business. Also, I tend to associate getting funded or working with angel investors with startups only.

You might be an startup if…

• You’re starting your company while working 40 hours a week at a day job.
• You fly to Silicon Valley at the drop of a hat to meet someone with deep pockets and good contacts.
• You know what a term sheet is.

I realize this post will incite someaggressivegreat dialogue around the definitions I’ve laid out here, and I welcome it. After all, it’s all subjective, isn’t it?

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Financial Dashboard, Forecasting, and Budgeting for Growing Companies

Growing a company is no easy task. Figuring out if you have the cash to open a new location or offer a new product or change an existing product takes a bunch of number crunching. Most of us do that in a spreadsheet. Most of us wish there was an easier way.

This review is for any entrepreneur or small business owner who needs an intuitive financial dashboard on a daily basis, but more so, needs the ability to forecast and run scenarios to grow a company. If you have ever tried to build a pro-forma in Microsoft Excel and spent hours trying to do it,60mois an app worth trying out. We used the free 30-day trial for this review and found it to be a robust, easy-to-use application. There are two versions: 60mo Dashboard and 60mo Forecasting.

Things I really like:

• From one section called“Numbers” you can fill in enough financial data to see a variety of reports:P&L, income vs. expense, income breakdowns, expense breakdowns. It integrates with Quickbooks Online, and other services like Freshbooks, Peachtree and Xero are in the works.
• For a startup, this tool rocks.It can help you run“what-if scenarios” that will allow you to model out a variety of ways to get to cash-flow-positive status.
• For an existing company, similar scenario planning is possible for a new office, a new employee, a new whatever, so you can look at your numbers to see what it is going to cost.
• For an angel investor or venture capitalist, this looks like a tremendous tool for managing a portfolio of companies.  Portfolio companies could report in status each week or month by simply granting you access.

The message that hooked me into evaluating this application came from a Techcrunch article, which said,“think of it like Mint for business.”I had actually written to Mint some time back to ask if they were planning on building out a small business package, but never received a reply, so the message about Mint for business struck home. (Mint, for the record, lets you do all these same things on a personal finance level.)

Many accounting packages offer forecasting and budgeting functionality, but I have not found them easy to understand.  However, with 60mo, the budget view allows you to see your actual spending vs. your budgeted (a projection) amount by category for the current (and past) month. This gives you a visual cue in the dashboard overview as to how your spending to date fits into your projected amount.  The system cantell you if you go over, of course, but the cool part isit will alert you as you approach your budget so that you don’t go over.  The feature is available on their mobile version as well.

Things I wish it did:

I’m sure they hear this from many customers: “When are you going to provide accounting functions?”The biggest weakness is 60mo is not an accounting tool.  However, to be fair, they are not trying to be an accounting tool. That space is already dominated by market leader Intuit. 60mo is focused on making forecasting and budgeting easier, thus the integration with Quickbooks and Quickbooks online.  This also means they don’t have a balance sheet or cash flow statement capability, but I was told they would be adding that soon.

Overall,60mois an up-and-coming forecasting and budgeting application for startups to companies with 10 to 200 employees.  If you want to blend data from different places— Quickbooks, credit cards, your bank accounts— 60mo lets you combine it all in one dashboard so you can quickly see your financial picture.

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Small Business News: More Tips for Business Owners And Entrepreneurs

Owning, operating or starting a business is hard work. While you may think at first how exhilarating it is to be the boss (and it is), there are many challenges to meet as well. In fact, even though it comes with no specific job description, at least in the beginning, running a business may be the hardest job of all. Here are some tips with some links to resources we hope you find helpful on your journey…

Advice

Give it some passion. Though the post linked to here is specifically about pitching to investors, this should apply to just about anything you do in your small business. Are you passionate about your products, services and brand. Rest assured that others can tell and will respond accordingly.Open Forum

Go deep on the problem you solve. you might well ask yourself, just how much room for growth could there be for a company offering online short term home rental like Airbnb, but it’s clear in this interview that the group is still growing and evolving. But picking their niche market well and going very deep on the needs within the market, the company still has plenty of room to expand.Inc.com

Tools

Understand the technology. Even online tools like Google Display Network take time to learn about, understand and master. But this learning can pay off in dividends down the road as you learn to market your business online. You don’t necessarily need to be a programmer or master of any specific technology to leverage what’s available, but you must take the time to truly grasp what technology can do for and improve about your business.Small Business Trends

Marketing

Seriously consider social media. Social media is much more than a fad or trend. It is a marketing tool that even the biggest brands are using to great effect. And small businesses can use the same tools to leverage their own brand identity. Here are some thoughts from the big guys!BizSugar Blog

Operations

Study up on deductions and other operations. It’s not just your products or services or the technology involved in delivering them that you must consider as an entrepreneur or small business owner. There are also important decisions to make about the way your company will operate including issues like tax deductions and health insurance. How your business operates are as important as the products or services you provide. Grow Smart Biz

Sales

Rethink the whole cold calling thing. Is cold calling really dead? OK, we’d like to hear from our small business community. We know there are a lot of sales people out there. Do you agree? With the changes in technology available to small business today, especially social media, is there really a need to call number after number. Let us know.The InsideView Blog

Productivity

Make neatness part of your company culture. Can clutter really be that destructive to a small business’s operations? What truly bad habits or other problems with productivity can lack of organization really cause? You may be surprised as you check out the link above for more details.EpicLaunch

Success Stories

Learn what you can from the success of others. March is Women’s History Month and blogger Mir Rooshanak is sharing this series of profiles honoring women’s contributions to entrepreneurship. This week’s post is on Janie McQueen, the President of Susu& John, a creator of clothing for babies. Check out all the profiles and become a better entrepreneur in the bargain. UPrinting.com

Advertising

Know the basics for the results you need. You don’t need to be an advertising genius to understand the basics of getting your message and brand across to the masses. Here’s a think piece about ideas as simple as the size of your brand or logo and what difference it makes to your overall message.Small Business Advertising Strategies

Brand

Study the biggest in the business. Brands that have become household names can be a great inspiration to even the smallest entrepreneurs. Why? Because big companies come from small ones so why not learn from the best? Check out this post and then think of some other brands you know. Can you imagine the world without them? How did they get so big and how can you do the same?The Solopreneur Life

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Why It’s Time to Kick Your Green Initiatives Up a Notch

Results of thesecond-annual Sustainability& Innovation Surveyof global corporate leaders by MIT’s Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group suggest that green practices are taking firm root in the business world.Nearly 60 percent of the 3,000 businesses surveyed said they are  increasing their investment in sustainability.

Perhaps the most interesting revelation iswhythey’re doing it. About half of businesses surveyed said the biggest reason was brand reputation and conveying a green image to customers – not to save money (though that’s a common reason, too).

The results reconfirm what many businesses already know: Consumers have altered their buying habits and are paying closer attention to the sustainability messages of the businesses they patronize. It’s a trend unlikely to go away anytime soon, and businesses that don’t understand this risk getting left behind.

The survey results notes that small companies are lagging behind their larger competitors when it comes to sustainability:Only 9 percent of companies surveyed with fewer than 1,000 employees were classified as“embracers” of sustainable business practices, compared to 34 percent of companies with more than 10,000 employees.

So what’s a small business to do?

If you haven’t started looking seriously at how to improve your company’s environmental footprint, start now. You can start by evaluating your company’s energy use (even get an audit, if your facilities are large enough to warrant one). Also look at your company’s waste and figure out how you might recycle more and send less to the landfills. Basically, you have to get a full picture of where your businesses stands in terms of sustainability.

Once you’ve gathered the data, it’s aboutweaving together a viable sustainability planthat explains how you intend to reduce your environmental footprint, and then following and revising that plan as needed. Many companies now form employee green teams as an effective way to engage employees in the discussion and get their buy-in. Employees also may have ideas you didn’t think about.

And once you get the green actions underway, there’s fantastic opportunity to communicate these good deeds to your customers. But there’s also a great opportunity to mess up. Many companies don’t know how to effectively communicate their green message and whether to make it a core part of their marketing endeavors. Here are some ideas forimproving your green marketing.

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Take Your Time Developing Your Brand

Does your brand splash around and do cannonballs off the side of the pool, or do you  dive straight in and swim with a smooth, steady stroke? Rome wasn’t built in a day and your personal brand, reputation or business brand can’t be, either.

Trying to rush it, bombard people with it and be too much in people’s faces is not going to make them notice you faster or get them to buy more consistently. In fact, think about all the emails and newsletters that you now block, delete and unsubscribe to. People tell me all the time they are only following and getting emails from people and companies that reallyconnect with them and provide them with timely information they want and need.

There are some really great professionals  and companies who I like and admire, but I just don’t want daily emails (and sometimes it’s two or three a day). Those relentless reminders, repeated offers, re-framed messages, reminders about offers ending, multiple articles just posted on their sites….

What’s the best practice here and does this help or hinder brand development and recognition?

Just when I think I’ve gotten through all of them, another slew of them downloads into my browser. I am really exhausted trying to keep up. Aren’t you?

More and more people I am speaking to are putting new boundaries on emails and email marketing. We know how important and effective email marketing, is but how often and for what reason do we need to be sending email marketing messages?

I am on my social platforms a few times per day; post two to three blog articles weekly; and write for several other business, career and marketing sites. I also try to send a dedicated, purposeful email out to my permission-based email list once per week; about every two months I send out a themed newsletter.

So, how much more do I need to do to be out there to grow my brand and authority?

I believe it’s the consistency of your activity, the length and content of your messages, and finding just the right frequency  that develops a brand organically over time. Brands should meander with purpose to where they are being naturally led.

No need to rush it or bombard people with your brand. Let it unfold, be consistent and“go with the flow.”

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4 Real Reasons to Care About Google Place Pages

Spend any real time in the small business marketing world and you’ll quickly be inundated with new services, new tools, new updates, new features and new things everyone thinks you should be aware of. As a result, it’s not always easy to decide what truly demands your attention and what can be written off as background noise. For that reason it’s possible that when Google Place Pages was first released a few months ago, you ignored it. And if that’s the case, it’s time to reconsider your position.

Last week I had the privilege of attendingSMX Westin California and one hot topic on the tip of everyone’s tongue was the importance of Google Place Pages and their effect on SMBs. Why should you worry about Google Place Pages? Below are four good reasons.

1. Your customers are looking for you online: While at SMX West last week, Gregg Stewart of15 Milesnoted that 20 percent of all searches on Google now have a local intent, and that number is even higher when you look at searches performed on mobile devices. SEO expert Bruce Clay later predicted that in two years70-80 percent of queries will have a local result on the page(!). That’s pretty significant and offers a good indication of where things are going. Searchers are headed online to find local businesses and, thanks to personalization, Google is showing local results even when a user doesn’t specifically ask for them. Users are looking for your business online and one of the best ways to help them find you is to claim, optimize andenhance your Google Place Page. By ignoring it, you make it harder for customers to do business with you. Why do that?

2. Google Places acts as a one-stop-shop for your brand: One reason some small business owners aren’t too friendly to Place Pages is that they resent Google decentralizing their information and pulling people from their core site. Unfortunately, that’s exactly why userslikethese aggregate pages. They like being able to check out one page and see all your vital information. Embrace it and give users what they’re looking for. Because, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how a user finds your address and phone number…just that they do and that you’ve excited them enough to use it.

3. Google loves (to rank) Place Pages: Thanks to some Google algorithm changes, Place Pages have been given significant search prominence. That means whether you like them or not, they’re showing up, and potential customers are stumbling upon them. As a savvy business owner, you must do your part and help those searchers find you by completely filling out your Google Place Page. I know it’s a little monotonous to always be filling out those little boxes all over the Web, butyou’re being asked for a reason – Google is using that information to rank you. Fill out everything, be careful when selecting your business category, and include as much information and (keyword-rich) details as you can. The more complete (and keyword-rich) your profile, the better.

4. Google Places connects third-party sites: You know the information being posted about you all over the Web? Much of it is being aggregated and displayed in your Google Place page. That means what’s out there about you for your business – all the reviews, the associated images, the business information, etc. – is getting more attention than ever before. If you don’t know what’s out there about your brand, Google Place Pages provides more incentive for you to find out. Take this time to make sure it’s all accurate and consistent.

Above are just a few reasons why Google Place Pages are becoming synonymous with local search engine optimization. If you haven’t invested serious time in claiming your Google Place Page listing and optimizing it, run (don’t walk) to go do that right now. This is not an area that you can put on the back burner until you “have time” to tackle it. Google is serious about local search, and your Place Page just may bethe glue that brings it all together.

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Small Business News: Tips For Your Next Venture

There are probably as many tips and helpful hints out there for starting your next small business venture as there are ventures to start and the truth is there are no simple, foolproof formulas. We’ve assembled some of the more helpful basics here, however, collected from across the Web in recent days and weeks to get you started. Best of luck!

Trends

Embrace social media. You’ve no doubt heard the buzz. Social media is not just a fad. It is quite simply the cheapest simplest way to connect with your customers on a global or local level today. The question is not, why should your business be using social media, but why not.You’re the Boss.

Forget about Groupon? Many tools create a potential for attracting new customers, but not all may be good for your small business. Offering merchandise and services at too low a cost may not help you long run and some offers may bring in more orders than expected at deep discount leading headaches. Many merchants have found success with Groupon and similar services but some experts say they aren’t right for everyone.Bloomberg Businessweek

Bookshelf

What guitar playing can teach you about small business startup. Pierre DeBois reviewsGuitar Lessons: A Life’s Journey Turning Passion Into Businessby Bob Taylor, founder of Taylor Guitars. Taylor turned his passion for the instrument into a globally recognized brand and is on a mission to teach other entrepreneurs to do the same.Small Business Trends

How to enchant your customers.  Ivana Taylor wraps this review of Guy Kawasaki’s book,Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actionsaround an interview with the author for a discussion on how to make your customers fall in love with you.Small Business Trends

Motivation

How to tell whether you’re excited. Specifically we’re talking about a business idea here. Creating a business means you have a sustainable idea that can keep you motivated even during the tough times. Here are nine plus sure signs (some via a brief video) that you are on the right track.TimoKiander.com

Self-development

The importance of blood, sweat and tears.Small Business Trendseditor and CEO Anita Campbell explains the importance of perseverance in building a small business as one of the most important tips for entrepreneurs. Anita started her online publishing business in 2003 with a Blogger account and grew it slowly to become one of the most influential sites of its kind. Check out the interview. Rise to the Top

See what entrepreneurial traits you possess. Starting a new venture can be a great time to revisit your basic strengths and weaknesses making improvements where possible. Here Martin Zwilling has assembled a number of what he believes to be shared traits of many entrepreneurs. Don’t worry if you don’t possess all of these. Just use them as a starting point on your entrepreneurial endeavors.Startup Professionals Musings

Sales

Creating resources for your team. Building a business that can grow requires more than just creating a sales team. It also requires a set of resources (like a clearly defined sales process) that will help support them. Understanding the tools your sales force needs will help you build a sales process with predictable sales and revenue and a means for improvement over time.WealthNet

Issues

Understanding the swipe fee issue. If you’re already involved with a small business, you may have already taken a side of the contentious swipe fee issue where banks and big retailers have lined up on one side and many small businesses on the other. But both sides have clear motivations and which is right?Boomberg Businessweek

Is a swipe fee cap really best? Small businesses seem firmly behind purposed federal regulation of swipe card fees, but is this really what is better for business or only what’s best forsomebusinesses.Small Business TrendsCEO and editor Anita Campbell gave this analysis a few months ago of the true issue at stake.Small Business Trends

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The Internet of Things Vs. Not Having to Visit Tech Forums For Hours

This series is commissioned by UPS.

Many new technologies take longer to reach the mainstream than you might imagine.  You have only to look at one of the famous Gartner Hype Cycle charts to see what I mean.  Here’s the Gartner Hype Cycle chart for 2010:

Gartner Inc is a technology research firm, and each year they put out anupdated hype cycle analysischart like the one above.

The“hype cycle” goes something like this:  when an exciting new technology comes along, at first there’s a lot of excitement.  People talk it up.  Early adopters jump on the bandwagon.  Market growth predictions get bandied about.  And the predictions are often rosy (after all, when you have a customer base of 6 for a techno-gizmo, it doesn’t take much to predict tripling or quadrupling that number). The technology reaches a peak of“inflated expectations.”

Then reality sets in.  Perhaps the technology isn’t mature enough.  Or perhaps infrastructure needed to deploy the technology is not in place yet.  Or perhaps the cost of manufacturing the technology needs to come down in price.  There could many reasons— but the end result is the same.  The initial excitement cools.  The technology enters the“trough of disillusionment.”  Sentiment becomes negative because the tech couldn’t live up to the inflated desires.

Some technologies never catch on, and fall by the wayside.  Some become obsolete, replaced by something better.

But in many cases all it takes is time for the pieces fall into place.  The technology then moves from the trough of disillusionment, back up eventually to the“plateau of productivity”— which is where the market understands where and how the technology really fits.  As the chart shows, sometimes it takes a decade or more for an emerging technology to move through the hype cycle and reach its true place in the market.

Early in the hype cycle is how I would describe something like the“Internet of Things.”  Right now we are going through the beginnings of“inflated expectations.”  However, it’s still so early we’re not even sure we all mean the same thing when we talk about an Internet of Things, where every“thing” is connected and emitting data to and from itself, and has a form of“intelligence.”  A lot has to happen before it meets it true potential.  As I wrote a few months ago,don’t hold your breath on the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things is exciting in many ways.  But as small business owners we have to deal in reality.  And reality for most of us means the Internet of Things won’t impact our businesses to a significant degree for years to come.  I don’t know about you, but in my business we’re still grappling with how to get information to download from one software program to another, without having to hassle for hours poring through online tech boards for a clue as why we can’t get the import/export function to work.  When you’re dealing with that level of automation, it’s hard to care much about the refrigerator someday being intelligent enough to tell us it needs filled.  And as  the Economist Schumpeter columnist  notes,maybe there’s a simpler solution.  Maybe it’s easier to just open the refrigerator and look.

As Wikipedia notes, about the Internet of Things: “Although the idea is simple, its application is difficult.”  Each person is surrounded by 1000 to 5000 objects.  For all those objects to be encoded and communicating, it would involve 50 to 100 trillion objects!

I love technology and what it does for my business.  But I’d rather focus on technology we can benefit from in the here and how, rather than something that may not be mature for 10 or who-knows-how-many years.

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101 Small Business Web Applications You Must Check Out

Check out these 101 small business web applications – software in the cloud. The selections reflect the breadth of innovative ideas and new business pursuits at play in the small business technology cloud landscape.

From sales to legal to productivity tools, we can attest that the small business technology is alive, kicking and doing extremely well in 2011.

It’s getting much easier and cheaper to operate a business than ever before. Absolutely great news for small business!

Here is the list of categories we will cover on this post:

Business Development Email Marketing Event Marketing Video Marketing Social Media Marketing Online Sales Online Payment Presentation Billing and Accounting Funding Hiring and Team Building

File Sharing Legal Building Websites Website Testing Market Research CRM Productivity Customer Service Team Management Voice Communication Online Education

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P.S. You will meet some of these companies atBizTech {Small Business}on March 24.

P.P.S. Please feel free to comment if we have missed any awesome small business web applications.
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Business Development

Card Munchallows users to take a photo and submit your business card. Each business card will be transcribed, edited and reviewed by virtual workers to guarantee accuracy.
Cost: FREE

NoteLeafallows users to schedule meetings on your Google Calendar, then gives you information about who you’re about to meet on your phone.
Cost: FREE

Shoeboxedallows users digitize all your receipt, business card and organize everything neatly electronically.
Cost: FREE to $49.95 per month

Bumpallows users to use your phone to bump another phone. If both people confirm that the match is indeed correct will the contact information be sent down to the other person.
Cost: FREE

Hashableallows users to track their business relationships record meetings, calls, intros and exchange business cards.
Cost:FREE

Tungleallows users to invite people to schedule with them, without having to sign up and automatically sync with your existing calendar.
Cost:FREE to $4.99 per month

Email Marketing

Vertical Responseallows users to self-service email marketing, online surveys and direct mail service which allows you to create, manage and analyze your own direct marketing campaigns.
Cost:FREE to $240 per month

Infusionsoftcaptures leads, create beautiful emails and automatically follow up using auto-responders.
Cost:FREE to $999 per month

Constant Contactsupports email marketing, online survey and event marketing.
Cost:FREE to $240 per month

MailChimpallows users to manage your email campaigns, share them on social networks, integrate with web services you already use, manage subscribers and track your results.
Cost:FREE to $240 per month

Tiny Letteris a free email newsletter platform which allows you to create beautiful landing page and simple email newsletter.
Cost:FREE

GetResponseallows user to create media-rich email marketing campaign.
Cost:$9.95 to $65 per month

Event Management and Marketing

Eventbriteallows users to manage, promote, and sell event tickets.
Cost:2.5% + $0.99 per ticket

MogoTixallows users to create and manage event mobile ticket.
Cost:2.5% + $0.99 per ticket

Eventbeeallows users to manage and sell event ticket.
Cost:2.5% + $0.99 per ticket

Video Marketing

Justin.tvallows users to broadcast live video and chat with viewers.
Cost:FREE

Ustream.tvallows users to broadcast video LIVE to the world from a computer, mobile or iPhone.
Cost:FREE

LiveStreamallows users to broadcast and live stream your own channel for events, chats or presentations.
Cost:FREE

Social Media Marketing

Crowdboosterallows Twitter analytics and insights. Social Media Marketing Optimization. Schedule and time your tweets. Twitter reports in Excel and PDF.
Cost:FREE

Wildfireallows users to create marketing campaigns like sweepstakes, contests and give-aways on Facebook and Twitter.
Cost:$5 to $250 per campaign

Flowtownallows users to analyze their customer social media profile using their email contacts.
Cost:Unknown

Postlingallows users to manage their social media from a single place and let them post, respond and schedule.
Cost:FREE to $34 per month

Online Sales

Big Commerceallows users to sell on Facebook and Ebay, Phones and email.
Cost:  Free– $299.99 per month

zferralallows users to create, track and manage online referrals.
Cost: $49– $999 per month

Shopifyallows users to create, track and manage online referrals.
Cost:$49– $999 per month

Online Payment

Squareallows users to collect credit card payment by plugging a reader into a phone or iPad.
Cost: 2.75% per transaction

Cimbalallows user to pay using your smart phone in the store, online and person-to-person anywhere Cimbal is accepted.
Cost: Free between individual

WePayallows users to collect money from a group and make splitting cost easier. It also makes sharing activity more transparent.
Cost: 3.5% per transaction

Google Checkoutallows users to collect payment online using their Google login or any major credit cards.
Cost: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction

Paypalallows users to collect payment online using their Paypal account or any major credit cards.
Cost: 2.9% + $0.30 USD per transaction

Bill Me laterallows users to pay without using a credit card and pay later.
Cost: Unknown

Venmoallows users to pay with your iPhone, Android or Blackberry.
Cost: FREE

Presentation

Slideshareallows users to upload and share your presentation for free.
Cost: FREE

Keynote Remoteallows users to control your Keynote (Apple) slide presentation on your Mac from your iPod touch or iPhone.
Cost: $0.99

Preziallows users to create web based presentation and allows you to zoom in and out to see the big picture and small details.
Cost:FREE to $59

Imageloopallows users to create, save, share slideshow online.
Cost: FREE

280 Slidesallows users to create and share presentation online.
Cost: FREE

iChartsallows users to present raw survey data in a attractive visual and interactive format.
Cost: Unknown

Billing and Accounting

Bill.comallows users to save and cost of business bill pyament and invoicing.
Cost: FREE to $24.99 per month

Freshbookhelps users to track time, organizer expenses and invoice customers.
Cost: FREE to $39.95 per month

Indineroprovides users insight into their business health.
Cost: FREE to $99 per month

Outrightallows users to get an instant snapshot of where you stand financially. It keeps track of your profit and loss, income, expenses, etc
Cost: $9.95 per month

Expensifyallows users to import expenses and receipts from credit card or bank account ad submits PDF expense reports by email, and reimburses online.
Cost: $9.95 per month

Recurlyhelps users with recurring billing operations in a secure and cost-effective manner.
Cost: $69 per month and up

Raising Funds

Kickstarterallows users to fund raise for creative projects.
Cost: 5% on the money you raise

Profounderallows users to raise the capital that they need, and the tools to manage all of the associated book-keeping, legals and compliance fillings.
Cost: Varies

Prosperconnects users who want to invest money to users to want to borrow money.
Cost: 0.50% to 4.5% on the money you raise

IndieGoGoallows users to create and fund ideas.
Cost: 4% on the money you raise

Hiring and Team Building

Elanceallows users to hire, manage and pay your virtual team.
Cost:You name your own price

oDeskallows users to hire, manage, and pay remote freelancers or teams.
Cost:You name your own price

Rent A Coderallows users to get freelance programmers and find freelance jobs.
Cost:You name your own price

99Designsallows users to find freelance designers.
Cost:You name your own price

TaskRabbitallows users to get hire local people to get specific physically tasks done.
Cost:You name your own price

CrowdFlowerallows user to takes large, data-heavy projects and breaks them into small tasks, then distribute to an on-demand workforce around the world.
Cost:Varies

Guruallows users to find high quality freelancers online.
Cost:You name your own referral fee

Amazon Mechanical Turkallows users to access to on-demand workforce and performance human intelligence task.
Cost:You name your own referral fee

Redbeaconallows users to get price quotes, compare professionals, and book appointments online for any office need.
Cost:FREE

File Sharing

Dropboxallows users to store and share files and folders with others across the Internet using file synchronization.
Cost: FREE to $19.99 per month

YouSendItallows users to send, receive and track large files via email.
Cost: FREE to $14.99 per month

Box.netallows user to store documents, media and all of your content online, so you can access, manage and share them from anywhere.
Cost: FREE to $15 per month

Egnytesupports file storage, backup, sharing and collaboration everything on the cloud.
Cost: FREE to $89.99 per month

Legal

Law Pivotallows users to crowd source confidential legal advice.
Cost: Free

Right Signatureallows users to sign contracts, NDAs, forms online.
Cost: Free to $249 per month

Docu Signallows users to sign and send documents and signatures and support full audit trail.
Cost: Free to $22.99 per month

Echo Signallows users to performance online, fax, biometric and mobile signature.
Cost: Free to $499 per month

Building Websites

Yolaallows users to create a professional, ad-free website.
Cost: Free to $8.33 per month

Wixallows users to create flash based website.
Cost: Free to $15.9 per month

Weeblyallows users to create free website with no technical skills required.
Cost: Free to $4.58 per month

Webvantaallows users to CMS based website with no technical skills required.
Cost: Free to $99 per month

Intuitallows users to create website based on predesigned websites.
Cost: Free to $4.95 per month

Website Testing

Usertesting.comtakes video of a visitor speaking their thoughts describing the problems they encountered while using your site.
Cost:$39 per use

Gazehawkkeeps track of where your users look on your website which allows you to test landing pages, registration/checkout flows, homepages, etc.
Cost:$495 and up

ReQtesthelps users to do web-based testing and bug reporting on the cloud.
Cost:FREE to $30 per user

Unbounceallows users to create, publish and optimize landing pages for testing purposes.
Cost:$25 to $500 per user

Feedback Armyallows users to start simple usability testing for their website.
Cost:$15

Optimizelyallows users to improve their website through A/B testing.
Cost:$19– $399

Market Research

Survey Monkeyallows users to create web-based survey.
Cost: Free– $64.99 per month

Wufooallows user to create contact forms, web surveys, and invitations so they can collect the data, registrations and online payments they need without being technical
Cost: Free– $199.99 per month

Google Formsallows users to create an online form from any spreadsheet.
Cost: Free

Ask Your Target Marketallows users to write surveys and send them to their target market segment.
Cost: Free– $119 per month

Survey Gizmoallows users to online surveys.
Cost: Free– $159 per month

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Highriseallows users to to manage contacts, keep track of who said what when, schedule follow-ups, set reminders, and convert leads.
Cost: FREE to $99 per month

Sugar CRMallows users to automate sales force and customer support on the cloud.
Cost: FREE to $600 per user per year

Salesforceallows users to keeps all the contacts, messages, e-mails, files, events and tasks.
Cost: FREE

Heapallows users to broadcast and live stream your own channel for events, chats or presentations.
Cost: FREE to $9 per user

Productivity

Evernoteallows users to save ideas, photos and voice note on any computer and mobile device.
Cost:FREE to $5 per month

Meeting Agendaallows users to create online agenda and minutes template that you can share with attendees.
Cost:FREE to $9.95 per month

Workflowyallows users to organize their thoughts.
Cost:FREE

Rescue Timeshows users how spend time& provides tools to help them be more productive.
Cost:FREE to $9 per month

Customer Service

Zendeskallows users to do customer support online.
Cost:$9 to $49 per month

Zopimallows users to do livechat with your customers online.
Cost:FREE to $99 per month

Assistlyallows users to consolidate all customer service conversations into one screen where service requests are collected, prioritized, and handled by team members.
Cost:FREE to $99 per month

Olarkallows users to chat with visitors on your website from desktop, laptop or mobile device.
Cost:$15 to $149 per month

Team Management and Collaboration

Teamlyallows users to manage their team by helping them focus on the top 5 priorities for the day, week and month.
Cost: FREE to $8 per month

Huddleallows users to manage projects, files and people in the cloud.
Cost: FREE to $15 per month

Yammerallows users to create their own Twitter and Facebook-like communication environment, but for internal employee only.
Cost: FREE to $5 per month

Voice Communication

Grasshopperallows users to get a toll free or local number, set up voicemail extensions and get other voice features online.
Cost:$9.95 to $199 per month

Ring Centralallows users to setup 800 numbers, toll free numbers, virtual pbx, internet fax and virtual phone system.
Cost:FREE to $39.99 per month

Google Voiceallows users to create one phone number so it will ring anywhere. It also transcribe the voice messages into email.
Cost:FREE

Online Education

Mindflashallows users to convert existing training materials into online courses.
Cost:FREE to $999 per month

Udemyallows users to create an online course.
Cost:FREE

Learnableallows users to create their own online courses.
Cost:FREE

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