The President of the United States, according to a Boston.com article, made another attempt at swaying the Senate to "ditch its partisan mode long enough to pass a package of tax cuts and loan relief for small businesses." Not only does he preach the power of small business, but he practices it as well. The President held a talk at Tastee Sub Shop in Edison, N.J., a tiny one-story building meant to "serve as the essence of the American small business."

Later on in the article, President Obama reiterated his views regarding aid to small businesses:

"Helping small businesses, cutting taxes, making credit available... This is as American as apple pie. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are central to our identity as a nation-they are going to lead this recovery."

The United States isn't the only country investing in the success of small enterprise. The government of Canada, with the commitment from Canada's Economic Action Plan, recently contributed over $750,000 to support "innovative research and development projects that will assist in developing high-tech solutions for global markets." According to the article, the Economic Action Plan has provided $200 million over the last two years to support innovative Canadian firms.

The motivation behind Canada's Economic Action Plan is to "help SMEs develop technologies and successfully commercialize them in a global marketplace... also, to provide science and technology expertise to SMEs."

While government supports small business growth, no one is more excited than the small business entrepreneurs. In the annual NYSE Euronext CEO Report, taken from Marketwatch.com, CEOs of small and medium enterprises are "the most bullish about their growth prospects through 2011," citing that 4 in 10 (38%) small business CEOs expect "significant growth within their companies."

A quote from Global Managing Director of Opinion Research Corporation Jeff Resnick sums up the new findings: "Innovation and entrepreneurship have always been the key ingredients for the success of emerging business."

Are you seeing the same enthusiasm and promise throughout your local small business community? Are there signs that the economic turnaround may already be happening on a micro level?

Until next time -

Matthew Hymel

Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support & Consulting
Rochester IT Support & Consulting

Whether it's email marketing, telemarketing, or promotional marketing, a small business owner would be missing a valuable opportunity if he or she does not have an internet presence. Not yet labeled "traditional," many companies have proven their worth solely on the internet and small businesses of all industries have benefited from the potential customer avenue.

Similar to a physical store, building a small business website represents your brand but doesn't market itself beyond where it stands. On the web, individuals utilize search engines for queries. Although this is not the only way users can find your website (directories, for example), the industry of search has grown competitive and valuable as everyone on Earth needs a tool to help them find what they're looking for.

When it comes down to it, search engine optimization becomes a critical marketing objective. Your small business needs to be seen and your potential user base wants to find you. Here are 4 reasons why your small enterprise will benefit from focusing on local SEO through search engines like Google:

Search engine competition on a national (or global) scale will be plentiful. No doubt, the number of businesses now available to the billions of people across the globe is enormous. Depending on your products and services, you may be looking at some heavy competition, whether it's local, regional, national, or global. The strategies behind an SEO setup will help to pinpoint your ideal audience and pull in customers that are looking for exactly what you provide. With a bigger audience comes a larger competitive landscape. To emerge as the leading company within your business, a quality small business SEO strategy can help distinguish yourself apart from generic corporations.

Search engines are beginning to prioritize local results. Google understands that users want the simple, best resource in front of them. When utilizing search on maps, users can get visual feedback (along with social reviews) in regards to how accessible your service is. This goes for search in general, as a request for "Karate" will differ in results from "Chicago Karate." The geo-specific search terms with provide geo-specific results. Small businesses that focus on certain areas or cities can hone this strategy and focus on the consumers that are really looking for them!

Your online presence is not just experienced in a desk chair. Although SEO can drive more traffic to a website, the evolution of mobile internet access has pushed the notion of local search. More than ever, users are looking for "information now, based on where I am now." A small business can benefit from being the first few businesses on a search page when it comes to mobile users identifying potential solutions. Because mobile internet search works similarly to overall search, a strong online presence accompanied by an interest in mobile access can take a small business well-above most of its competitors.

Never underestimate the power of a physical community. Building a website, communicating with social media, using online deals - these are all effective in fortifying a lucrative small business, but don't forget to look around. Learn from the business established to your left and right. Small businesses more than ever are coming up with innovative ways to reach potential customers and these means aren't necessarily broadcasted. While the World Wide Web takes pride in housing an immense amount of information, it will never replace the actual communication process between two like-minded individuals. Certainly, the power of community (your physical community) can influence your company's growth and success.

Until next time -

Matthew Hymel

Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support & Consulting
Rochester IT Support & Consulting

Aside from the announcement and introduction of Firefox 4 Beta, Mozilla has been flexing its usability muscles once again. This time, they have effectively created a tab management feature, an area that is in desperate need of innovation. The new function provides a full visual display of tabs, similar to viewing files or folders on a desktop monitor.

You can watch the full video of the Introduction to Firefox's Tab Candy here.

For those that have gotten to use the alpha download, there has been nothing but praise and excitement. Here's what some notable websites have said:

• Lifehacker: "Another favorite feature is that Tab Candy effectively collapses different windows inside of one, so when you're looking at one group, your others are waiting inside the switching interface. Sure you can open a new window if you need multiple Firefox windows open at once, but most of the time you don't need the extra clutter. We've just started playing with Tab Candy, but so far we're loving it."
• TechCrunch: "Firefox just perfected the tab browsing -- for those who don't use a Mac, basically these features allow you to zoom out and get a bird's-eye-view of all your windows (or tabs, in this case) that are open - and you can also arrange open windows (or again, tabs, in this case) in certain spaces so they're clumped together. This allows you to more easily find what you're looking for with so many tabs open."
• Gizmodo: "I never would have thought that an improvement in tab technology would have me fist-pumping in front of my computer, but this video preview for Firefox's forthcoming Tab Candy feature, which spatially organizes and groups tabs, really has me jazzed."

The new tab interface looks to improve work efficiency within one window, as tab 'overhauls' have become more and more common. This simple yet elegant implementation will change the way users experience the plethora of information accessed on a daily basis.

While Firefox takes pride in its user interface, security and add-ons are important in attracting businesses away from the likes of Internet Explorer. According to an article from AppScout.com, thanks to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a new extension for Firefox will "enable HTTPS on sites that support it, and uses it by default when you visit." This extension, called HTTPS Everywhere, "doesn't encrypt all of your web browsing, but it is one way to make sure that data sent and received from some of the Web's most popular sites is encrypted." While HTTPS may look more familiar when accessing online bank accounts, sites like Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, and others have adapted the protocol as a simple (but not end-all) execution to further protect their users.

What browser does your business prefer? Is this chosen by your company or your users? As Firefox continues to improve its platform, how will Chrome and IE respond?

Until next time -

Matthew Hymel

Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support & Consulting
Rochester IT Support & Consulting

So what's the story behind these numbers? Forrester suggests that growth is because "the U.S. is entering an innovation cycle marked by adoption of new technologies." The article points out HP's latest contract renewal with General Motors for $2 billion as a sign of their "large deal appetite."

While insufficient data was available to include telecommunications services in the report, lead analyst Andrew Bartel summarizes his opinion based on the findings, noting that "communications equipment purchases are looking up, especially for enterprise and small and medium-size business (SMB) buying; computer equipment and software will be the strongest categories."

In an article from ZDNet.com, Joe McKendrick believes the numbers show the "pent-up demand from purchases being held off the last couple of years," when either budgets or profits had limited wiggle room. He also points out initiatives like analytics and data management that may affect the 'innovation cycle.'

With more companies willing to invest in IT, the landscape will experience a period of technical innovation. An article from Computerworld.com outlines a few elements for providing an environment that sustains innovation:

• Employees need the right to fail-it's hard to innovate when there is fear of being wrong
• From top to bottom, anyone (and everyone) within the organization should take responsibility for innovation
• Establish partnerships with other departments to communicate and articulate benefits of technology-driven innovations
• Create an area or environment for innovative ideas and experiments, one where people can test and hear various ideas
• Carving out processes and declaring ownership-promising ideas and experimental tests need facilitating roles

Remember to take a step back and observe whether your company can do something more efficiently. Getting caught up in the usual routine can stymie workplace innovation.

Until next time -

Matthew Hymel 

Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support & Consulting
Rochester IT Support & Consulting

According to a post on WSJ.com, Apple is beginning to "boost efforts to appeal to small businesses" by hiring engineers experienced in "implementing computer systems for clients and proficient in networking hardware and server platforms."

Apple's presence in the small business market has been a hit and miss-while some companies take pride in utilizing Macs and OS X, as opposed to Windows products, the pricing and on-site service availability have been sticking points in further commitments from small enterprises. Especially in a lagging economy, small business owners look for "cost-conscious alternatives."

Apple will adapt a new strategy by focusing on small business growth. Traditionally a consumer product producer, Apple has witnessed growth in media, design, and other creative firms. With the success of the iPhone and iPad, it's hard to ignore the impact that Apple has made on the technology industry as a whole.

In order to execute a small business strategy, Apple stores have dedicated one salesman to managing accounts with local businesses. They have also looked into recruiting a sales staff to form "a specialized team that negotiates leasing and pricing terms for business customers." Look to see similar executions throughout all of Apple's 300 locations.

To further dive into their strategy, Apple has established an incentive program to "manage the growth of these new business initiatives."

It is no surprise to see Apple's attention shift toward the small business sector. According to the WSJ.com article, "North American businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees are expected to spend $310.8 billion on information technology this year." To add to that, projections show a 6% increase for next year to $328.3 billion.

With on-site support and possibly cheaper hardware costs, we'll have to see if small businesses take the leap from traditional Microsoft products to consumer-friendly Apple services.

Until next time -

Matthew Hymel

Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support & Consulting
Rochester IT Support & Consulting

It's hard to imagine 500 million-to put it in perspective, it is more than the current populations Germany, Russia, France, England, Italy, Spain, Canada combined. If Facebook were its own country, it would be the 3^rd largest in the world, trailing only India and China.

Out of the 500 million, the United States claims around 125 million users, or 20% of Facebook's population. According to Mashable.com, "each American Facebook user spends an average of 421 minutes on Facebook per month, which amounts to more than 14 minutes per day; even if you lump together the time spent on Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Microsoft/Bing, Wikipedia, and Amazon, it still doesn't beat Facebook." The bulk of their user base is 18-34 year olds, making up 57% of the audience (while the 35-44 age group retains 14%). This means that at the very least 70% of Facebook users are potential small business participants or consumers.

Although all 500 million reasons may not be viable, here are three motivators to start participating and interacting with these large percentages:

You can have a small business with big objectives. Just because your business is small, doesn't mean your clients need to be local. The internet has opened up previously untouched avenues for small business success, and Facebook integrates the social aspect of branding and customer relations. Don't be overwhelmed by 500 million people-a small business can succeed in a big world (in fact, they could lead the next technological revolution).

Go where the people go. The ability to market to millions of people with a couple clicks is a revolution in itself. Any business person knows that in order for your product or service to succeed, it must be seen, heard, and used. Therefore, when you hear other people say "Facebook just isn't for my business," ask them why they choose to ignore a country of possible customers bigger than the United States. While direct marketing may irk Facebook users, small businesses can use the influence of locality (and the future looks promising for local search) and word of mouth to promote themselves.

Cost of Facebook: $0. Small businesses have little room in their budget for marketing. What better way to push a promotion or product through a medium that costs no money? Allocate a few hours a week to interact and experience the world of Facebook, both as a user and as a small business owner. The value in social media is the immediate connections and the relatively promising ROI from just a little online effort.

Until next time -

Matthew Hymel

Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support & Consulting
Rochester IT Support & Consulting

After Apple exploded with the release of the consumer-targeted iPod, they entered the mobile industry with the iPhone. This product, also aimed at consumers, eventually fell into enough high-ranking hands that companies were overwhelmed with the demand to cover iPhones within their IT protection protocol. To this day, iPhones and Blackberries continue to dominate business environments, but the mobile market is evolving quickly.

In fact, Google now has the fastest growing mobile OS with its popular (yet fragmented) Android platform, ranging from version 1.5, 1.6, 2.0, 2.1, and the latest 2.2.  With more consumers opting for an open-source platform, businesses both large and small may need to cover their tail when it comes to data protection and user security. Fortunately, here are five reasons why small businesses can utilize Android 2.2 as an efficient enterprise tool:

Exchange Support. While users have no problem syncing their Google services with Android devices, Exchange was a different story. With the release of 2.2 (out now only for Nexus One, more devices later this year), Exchange support offers Mail, Calendars, and Contact sync. If the platform continues to gain market share, don't be surprised to see Google create a more enterprise-worthy deviation.

Video Conferencing. While most people were "introduced" to FaceTime, video chatting is nothing new to the business and technology world. Now with the software and hardware widely adapted, video will become a more effective business tool and help shape the way small businesses and clients communicate. For example, product demonstrations can be streamed through the camera of one employee's cell phone straight from a client's shop.

Security. One of the most important aspects from an IT department's point of view is security. While users want a flawless experience, IT specialists work hard to bring that functionality while protecting important data from leaking or malicious content from entering. In the case of Android 2.2, you can now use full alphanumeric passwords (as opposed to pattern drawing on previous versions), a big step in IT protection capabilities.

Remote Management. Along with the advances in security, version 2.2 permits IT departments to control passwords and wipe devices remotely through an Exchange server. Still required for IT to function would be encryption for removable media cards and remote tracking.  

Business-specific Applications. The explosion of the Android platform has been due in some part to its open-source community and the quickly-developing Android market. This week, Google launched App Inventor for Android, an application that allows anyone to build an app from scratch. While this won't turn the average mobile user into a certified developer, this reinforces the direction of Android's open system: build whatever your company needs and use it on our operating system. Small businesses could utilize application development for simple or complicated enterprise endeavors.

For more information about Google Android 2.2, check out this article from computerworld.com.

Until Next Time -

Matthew Hymel

Switchfast Technologies
Small Business IT Support & Consulting
Rochester IT Support & Consulting

Because of limited resources, small business owners have an extra boundary in updating clients and consumers about the company's development. Growth can occur quickly - before you know it, you're a different business than your customers remembered!

The good news is there are avenues that allow small businesses to inform their clients and enthusiasts with company news and events. Starting a "blog," short for weblog, opens up an arena for more engagement, specifically with an audience that takes interest in your small business.

Here are six reasons why a small business blog is a good idea:

• Build search engine ranking. A blog can be utilized in several ways, but the content you create is unique and, most importantly, yours. This will help differentiate you from other small businesses in the industry, and search engines like Google find it easier to index your site with more content. Maintaining a stream of information on a consistent basis will work wonders for your search engine power. 
• Keep your audience informed and involved. Whether your blog is located on or off your website, your blog's purpose needs to remain consistent. If you use it to share industry insights or catalog exciting moments in your company's history, viewers need a reason to view it on a regular basis. 
• Unite all your small business employees. As your company grows, there's little time for team unity - keeping a blog updated with company milestones can be inspiring and beneficial for all team members involved in the small business growth. Not only do your audience members enjoy the content, but your employees strive to make better headlines! 
• Share your ideas among fellow small business owners. Comparing and discussing experience in the small business industry can be helpful to companies that are in a rut. The SMB arena is one in which all entities want to see each other succeed - sharing and learning is part of the small business ownership experience. 
• Maintain a timeline for the development of your company. Marking a date, headline, and details for every milestone can create a visual reminder of how fast (or slow) your success has occurred. These dates can help you later on when deciding campaign timelines or strategic changes. 
• Give your small business a voice. The tone and content of a blog carries the personality of the small business through any computer screen. The subject matter and diction should reflect the mission of the company and represent a small business that knows what its audience wants.

Unfortunately, a business is only successful if it can sell its products and services. In order to do this, small businesses need exposure-either mass media or word of mouth, small business owners don't have the time or resources to run a company and promote it simultaneously.

With a majority of potential consumers attached to internet devices, having a website can be a key component in drawing interest and crowds to your company. However, your "online storefront" doesn't work like physical locations-users don't notice you in passing, they actively seek you out, or you promote yourself through search engines. When it comes to building a strong small business website, here are 5 words that summarize the power of SEO:

Content. There's a reason why the internet continues to grow-people all over the world are filling servers upon servers with information. While the average user will only witness a small fraction of the internet's massive infoworld, the important part for consumers is the information that they are looking for. Building relevant content for small business websites not only helps climb the Google ladder, but it represents your company as a whole and determines whether users are satisfied or disappointed in their experience with your website. Anything from blogs to podcasts to video updates, content comes in all shapes and sizes - catering your content in an appropriate communication package can be the key in attracting potential customers from all over the internet.

Connections. Where there is content, there are interested individuals. As people flood the internet with information, they connect with the users that provide the content. Just like a handshake can spark a memorable first impression, an email or instant message can build a bridge between business owners and users. These connections, both professional and personal, are important to manage and monitor, as small businesses initially rely on their local environment before focusing on a national push. Keeping in touch with a user interested in your venture can build a positive image about your brand and keep you closely connected to the user's established network.

Conversations. While building connections may be important, it is the communication that defines how your small business runs. With the outburst of social media platforms, it's easier than ever to reach your potential clients online and receive real-time feedback on your products and services. While the internet provides a large quantity of information, communication between small businesses and consumers creates specific, quality data.

Consistency. In order to gain any traction, SEO is done on a consistent basis. The three terms previously mentioned (Content, Connections, Conversations) require patience and persistence. Getting to the top of Google's search page doesn't happen overnight! Over time, ROI will become evident.

Credibility. The need for increased internet speeds shows that the internet is growing in users exponentially. As the internet crowds converge, content, connections, and conversations need to be genuine and honest. Small businesses start from scratch when it comes to the internet-they're the new brand on the block. Don't provide any content to your users that doesn't follow your mission statement. Every web page will be analyzed and judged by users, including the engagements you make away from your site. Make sure every step you take is transparent-don't leave a potential client with anything less than a great impression.

Until Next Time -

Matthew Hymel

With a group of employees ready to take the business landscape by storm, you can put your management in cruise control, right?

Keeping individuals happy and making money require separate techniques and plans. Here are a few pointers (and examples) of developing a workplace personality while growing a healthy small business:

Focus on building individual skills and show progress on a consistent basis. Even in a small business, not every employee will experience all aspects of development. Having quarterly or monthly meetings to show employees the effects of their recent work can build confidence and workplace drive. Aside from motivating groups, individuals thrive off support from their superiors. Challenge your employees to perform above their threshold and when they reach goals, remind them of all the work it took to get from Point A to Point B. Showing is always a stronger reinforcement tool than telling.

Address personalities accordingly-like business, every person needs a unique pitch. Be patient and kind to your employees. Taking the time to understand their personality quirks can benefit your "people" skill set and the small business. Concentrate on exploring and exposing a person's positive qualities while improving other areas on a personal basis. Learning to choose your words and tone can make the difference in discouraging or inspiring a small business employee.

A healthy personal life means a productive professional one. In no way should your business life pry into your personal affairs. A small business, however, should provide support and comfort for its employees when a personal matter affects work ethic. Having personal connections among employees can help alleviate some stress from a personal situation and provide an "escape" in some cases. The success and management of an individual's personal life can provide the same stability in a small business environment.

Altering the work schedule can provide a much-needed change in routine. During the warmer seasons, companies opt for a summer schedule, where working an extra 45 minutes a day can cut Fridays into a half day. Other small businesses offer certain work-at-home hours or extra days off. Whatever the case, tweaking any schedule can be good for those employees who tend to "go through the motions." Changing the perceptions of a work process can spark ideas on how to condense or renovate operations.

The bottom line: people skills are important to any business. Participating in group activities inside or outside the workplace (unrelated to work objectives) can build trust, a key characteristic in small business environments. Building conversations with clients or employees teaches plenty of lessons in workplace communication efficiency. Don't just "deal with people" - take interest in others' curiosity and create a comfortable environment for people to openly express their ideas.

Until Next Time -

Matthew Hymel

Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support & Consulting
Rochester IT Support & Consulting