Online Small Business Technology Tools
There are more and more online small business technologies everyday including software technology, accounting technology, email technology, newsletter technology, web site technology and transaction technology systems. In this article we will discuss a few of these key areas and list some sites that may be of benefit to your online small business.Accounting TechnologySimply Accounting 2010Simply Accounting helps with budgeting, accounting and financial and can be integrated with Microsoft Word and Excel. There is even a payroll processing software program and it is available in English or French. What is new is the Simply Accounting HR Version. This is one of the most popular accounting programs for small business. There is even a free download version you can try.Quick BooksQuick books is another accounting system that has over 4 million users worldwide. It is simply, easy to use, has great chart systems and is purposeful for financials. It has a customer and vendor centre that details customers and suppliers. It has a multi-currency feature that can convert currencies from around the world. It also simplifies the GST/HST process and has an efile system for taxes. Live community is a resource to help with questions about Quick Books and is a useful tool for new users. It is also a system that is able to have 3-5 simultaneous users.Newsletter TechnologyConstant Contact is a good resource that has been around since 1998 and well trusted. You can design newsletter campaigns, email campaigns and online surveys. Just pick your package, there is even a free trial. There is even a program for event marketing if you want to create online campaigns for upcoming events. Product support and customer service is also very good with Constant Contact.iContact is another good resource that is used by Fortune 500 companies and over 500,000 users. You can easily track, send, open and click on email programs. They can easily help you set up, organize, and leverage your email marketing list. They have abilities up to 100,000 subscribers and even more and have an Enterprise Account Representative for you if you have larger needs.These are just a few of the accounting and newsletter technology programs available online for business. We hoped this has helped you find some new solutions.
Internet Marketing Services – What Should You Pursue?
You may often wonder what really Internet marketing is. Well, there have been many definitions formulated by various gurus of Internet marketing. Individuals who have tried out the huge and lucrative business opportunity of Internet marketing also have provided various interpretations of it. Though several such definitions and interpretations have been suggested yet hundreds and thousands of aspiring internet marketers are still in the quest for getting the exact definition of Internet marketing. Such Internet marketing aspirants want to get a clear idea of what exactly they are seeking to get into.In an endeavor to determine the much wanted exact definition of Internet marketing we can examine some situations. With the question of defining Internet marketing being put forward to some 100 individuals- 99 of them point out to the search engine as the ultimate path finder in this regard. Then one can go to one’s favorite search engine and type in the words “define Internet marketing” and click on the searching icon to give…the results.In the search results pages the top pages will be the ones displaying information/web pages of marketing veterans established as pioneers of Internet marketing. Such persons have rightfully secured a spot to provide a definition of Internet marketing from their viewpoint. There are, however, the placement ads on search result pages and glancing upon them will reveal another story altogether.It is with the intention of helping websites get more traffic or hits that most of the ads related with Internet marketing have been set up. Indeed Internet traffic is the lifeblood of any website and the sites thrive on Internet traffic. Now we may combine this concept with the traditional concept of marketing conduction with the Internet acting as the marketing medium here. The following conclusion providing a definition of Internet marketing can be arrived at:”Internet marketing is an income-generating opportunity dependent on the utilization of interactive technology (via the Internet) to build a dialog with potential clients by connecting with them through quality content about your product and/or service offerings”.Thus, the interactive technology specified as the “Internet” is to be utilized for fulfillment of Internet marketing. Different Internet marketing services existing are involved in the utilization of the Internet. These are the services which are requisite of the Internet to be able to perform its specific tasks in the capacity of marketing medium between Internet marketers and clients pertaining to them.In order to keep alive their online business all online entrepreneurs need to familiarize themselves with Internet marketing services. These are the services which are vital for their online business’s development and also for making their Internet marketing careers successful.Information on some basic Internet marketing services is provided here for you to learn about and familiarize yourself with:Search Engine Optimization- In order to locate websites and finding useful information on the Web the search engines are used. These are powerful tools used by most Internet users for finding the information they are seeking. Efforts need to be made so as to ensure that your site is appearing on the top pages of a search engine page result. By search engine optimization i.e. optimizing your website by reengineering its contents you can expect to secure better search engine placements.Indexing- The procedure of submission of your web pages for search engine registration and registration in various Internet based directories is involved in indexing.Keyword research- The highly searched keywords and key phrases relevant to your online business can be identified by keyword research.SEO consultation need- Internet marketers who are novices in the field can well invest with an SEO consultant. This is suggested if you wish to receive help in planning the methods of successfully marketing your website.Use net- The Use net is a fast and efficient method for generating targeted traffic for your website. This involves a worldwide bulletin board system in which there are over 14,000 forums covering every interest group. Everyday this is commonly used by millions of individuals all over the world.E-mail marketing procedures- An electronic mail is made use of here. This is sent to a list of subscribers who wish to receive updates of your products and services. E-mail marketing is a popular Internet marketing advertising method.Press releases services- Useful information concerning your online business (website) like site launches, special products on offer or other helpful information are announced through press releases. In order to ensure that more people are attracted towards your site the press releases are carefully drafted.These are the basic and essential ones among the Internet marketing services. There are various other Internet marketing services available too. In order to be successful in your Internet marketing business you need to carefully integrate any of these in your online business so that the best results are derived.
Mistakes To Avoid For Beginners In Web Development
Mistakes are common during web development especially if you have begun your career as a web developer. It doesn’t matter which of the programming languages are used for coding ranging from Java, PHP, C# or .Net, mistakes are bound to happen when it comes to facing complex coding and scripting language.Here are a few mistakes that must be avoided by beginners in web development.Self-ConfidenceSelf-confidence is an essential requirement for a web developer. If you are among the ones who think coding cannot be done perfectly by you, then it might turn out to be a very uphill task for you. The fact remains coding is a bit complex at the beginning, but once you gain expertise it just turns out to be a matter of simple logic. So never give up when it comes to your coding abilities during web development, you will definitely reap the benefits at the end.Create a back-up of work performedDo not ever forget to create a back up of the coding tasks performed by you by the end of the day. You can use an automatic tool for back up if required. However ensure that you back up your task without fail on a daily basis. Because even though the computer unexpectedly shuts down or get damaged, you will still have your tasks ready with you and if not it is really going to affect the client satisfaction and ultimately might cost you the job itself.Code formatting that is not properly doneCode formatting that is not properly done can result in the wrong declaration of function as well as reflects unprofessionalism. It is desirable for beginners in web development to avoid useless new lines and blank spaces etc.Refusal to take notice of the web standardsWeb standards are extremely important in unifying code and developing apps that are device-independent. Beginners in web development have to understand that web standards are meant to assist them in creating error-free codes and not in making their task difficult.Optimize bandwidth usageOptimizing the website is very important since none of the users would wish to see their desired website to load slower due to the presence of high resolution images and slower internet connections. Therefore beginners in web development will have to ensure the bandwidth to be adjusted so as to optimize the website speed by minimizing the image resolution and size followed by server side HTTP compressions. It can be achieved by performing minimization of the CSS and JavaScript. Ensure the website is optimized for the mobile phone users since they are among the growing list of users who access web using their mobile phone itself rather than desktop computers.Testing the program in various browsersIt is among the common mistakes made by the beginners in web development. Instead of testing the program in just a few of the favourite browsers, try to test the program in almost all the compatible browsers that functions on the web. It is common to find bugs or errors in almost all the major browsers and rectifying them to make it compatible with your program must remain the top most priority during the entire web development process. Most of the clients do not want to hear excuses such as the browser might have some problems and that it works better with another browser. It might show lack of professionalism in the web developer from the perspective of a client. However resolving those bugs or errors and making your program to work smoothly with all the browsers will improve the confidence of yourself and the confidence in the client as well as the company that has provided the employment for you.ConclusionFinally, beginners in web development must avoid over confidence that is among the most common mistake they often make. If one or two of your projects went well, that does not mean errors or mistakes would never take place in future. Only with respect to time and experience that a developer develops their coding skills. Learning is continuous and never ending especially when it comes to web development since changes are taking place regularly in the technology sector with respect to time. Adapting to those technological changes requires the desire to learn and evolve. Avoiding the above mentioned mistakes will make a beginner in the web development more confident in enhancing their career prospects in future and thereby helping them become a talented and skilled web development professional.
Blue Ocean Investment Strategies – 10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Utilize the Long Tail of Investing
Defined within the realm of the statistical Bell Curve, the long tail would reside in the skinny tail at the borders. The long tail, in regards to goods and services, refers to the evolution away from mainstream offerings towards more niche products and services. With the internet drastically reducing the costs of establishing distribution channels, the ability of entrepreneurs to focus more on the longtail sector to fit their customized needs is gaining increasing appeal.However, almost no one speaks of the longtail of investing. To me, longtail investment strategies are the strategies that do not heavily rely on fundamental or technical analysis, but exploit other strongly predictive factors to produce not only superior returns to traditional investment strategies but also investment opportunities with far better risk-reward paradigms than those produced by traditional investment strategies. Here are 10 reasons why the longtail of investing is the only way to build wealth.(1) You will never achieve the level of wealth you desire by handing your money over to a large investment firm. The vast majority of private investors hand their money to large institutions and allow them to invest their money for them. If this were truly the best way to achieve financial freedom, then almost every one you know would be ecstatic with their financial consultant. Think of how many people you know that absolutely rave about their financial consultant.The fact that 90% of people you know do not rave about their financial consultant should tell you that niche investment strategies, or longtail investment strategies, are far superior. The ones that are happy with the large investment houses already were independently wealthy before they sought out their help. Think about how many people you know that have ever told you, “I wasn’t wealthy before, but thanks to my investment firm, I am wealthy beyond my dreams now.”(2) Thanks to evolving information technology, there are many other means of making investment decisions than just utilizing fundamental and technical analysis. Though people have been really slow to grasp this, once they do, longtail investment strategies, like those invented by SmartKnowledgeU(TM), will boom. There is no doubt that the level of top-notch financial, political and corporate information available to the average investor has increased by leaps and bounds within the past decade.There is a virtual treasure map that was created by the flattening of the world over the past decade to selecting stocks that are poised to explode. However, because the largest, most powerful investment institutions in the world have kept the masses of investors fixated on traditional investment techniques such as value and fundamental analysis, the longtail of investment strategies is currently much further behind in its developmental phases than it should be.The best analogy I can use when explaining why people have ignored the long tail of investment strategies is to compare it to the incredibly slow adoption of Internet Protocol Version 6 (Ipv6) by the United States. When China started preparing its country for Ipv6 a decade ago, the benefits in increased security and its added value properties in e-commerce were evident even back then. However, people in the U.S. were comfortable with the lesser Ipv4 so did not take any action until the progress and superior internet and business capabilities of China, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong finally embarrassed the U.S. enough to move forward and catch up with Asia.I see the same thing happening in the educational realm of investing. Everyone is comfortable with the traditional investment strategies that have been propagated for the last several decades so nobody sees a need to move forward even though much better strategies exist today. Just as with Ipv6, the world will eventually realize that the safest and best means of investing money reside in the longtail, and they will eventually adopt these strategies.(3) With so much investor skepticism of corporate integrity sparked by past accounting scandals at Enron, WorldCom, General Motors and the like, and the current, ongoing backdating option scandals, investors will increasingly seek alternate means of making investment decisions other than crunching numbers that they feel are untrustworthy. Furthermore, technical analysis often yields false positives as well. A chart will show indexes that appear bullish having just broken through a ceiling of resistance only to have the index turn back downward for a prolonged period of time, or a chart will appear bearish having just broken through a floor of resistance only to turn around and begin another bullish ascent.In fact, you have seen some of these turnaround trends with some of the technical posts that I’ve placed on my blog in previous months. In fact, that is why I always state that I never rely solely on technical indicators to make my decisions. I rely only on technical indicators to confirm or dispel what my long tail investment strategies tell me. Of the three types of analysis, fundamental, technical and long tail, long tail investment strategies yield by far the least amount of false negatives and false positives. That’s why I rely on them so heavily.This sentiment will lead to an evolution of longtail investment strategies, and the discovery of more efficient and better predictive means of making investment decisions than even those that already exist. Even current longtail investment strategies, such as those utilized at SmartKnowledgeU(TM) are constantly evolving as access to reliable information increases every year. Making decisions as if you were a fly on the wall of boardrooms is no longer a fantasy. It is possible, thanks to the evolution of the information landscape.(4) With the growth of blogs and pure information sites on the web, the stranglehold of global investment myths, including the Modern Portfolio Theory of diversification, will soon be exposed for what they are – cleverly disguised sales strategies posing as investment strategies. Once people realize this, longtail investment strategies will gain wider acceptance, much like acupuncture and herbal medicine eventually gained credibility as healing regimens in the schools of Western medicine.(5) Wider acceptance of alternative, longtail investment strategies that far outperform those utilized by global investment firms will happen as word of successes via these strategies spread throughout the world via the internet. The internet distribution channel can and will be used to change the mindset of investors.(6) The Do-It-Yourselfers are Growing – With the success of books such as Stephen Covey’s “The Eight Habit” that emphasize personal accountability to achieve excellence versus handing control over to someone else, cultural shifts will happen whereby people will seek to seize control over their own financial future versus just handing their money to a firm to manage. As this cultural shift happens, multitudes of people will realize that they are shorting their returns significantly every single year by handing their money to global investment houses.(7) The flattening of the world and accessibility to previously inaccessible investment information will undoubtedly yield an increasing amount of investment strategies that reside in the longtail. People will realize the foolishness of believing in the one investment strategy thrust upon them by global investment houses for the past half of century as “the only viable and safe way to invest.” If the younger generation takes an interest in investing, adding their creativity to the investment arena will result in explosive growth in the longtail of investment strategies. However, since the odds of this occurrence are quite low, a more gradual shift towards niche investment strategies is much more likely.(8) The explosion of social networking sites like YouTube, MySpace, Friendster, and so forth, will amplify the viral marketing of longtail investment concepts. Again, ignorance of longtail investment strategies causes fear and hesitancy to use them. Viral marketing of longtail investment concepts will increase millions of investors’ comfort level with these different and unique concepts.(9) People are ultimately interested in returns, no matter how much global investment firms try to separate themselves from their competitors with smoke and mirror service claims. All the gratitude for luxury box suites at Los Angeles Lakers games, suites at the Four Seasons Hotel, conferences at world-class golf courses and resorts will quickly wither once people realize how much more money they are earning with longtail investment strategies.(10) Again, because people will readily abandon all the perks they get as a preferred client at a large investment firm for far superior returns on their portfolios, longtail investing will eventually reach a critical mass. Eventually the longtail of investing will migrate towards the center and become the mainstream methods of investing, though this may take several decades to occur.
Health Care Coverage: The Importance Of Reading The Small Print
Health care coverage is essential for people in all walks of life, regardless of who you are and where you come from. You only live once and need to look after yourself when you are here. You should explore all options before settling on the best policy, and you should be satisfied that it is the best one for you. Make sure that you read all of the small print before you finally decide on a policy because it is often the terms and conditions that makes the policy effective for the individual.Health Care Coverage And CostThe golden rule of choosing health care coverage is not choosing the cheapest policy on cost alone. Cheap health care coverage is usually very poor and you generally tend to get what you pay for. The health care coverage company will happily take your money and give you absolutely no protection against illness and disease should you fall victim to either one of them. You will end up with bills to pay that can mount up to hundreds, with absolutely no way of claiming the money back.You must consider health care coverage in terms of your own needs and aim to purchase health care coverage from a company that has a solid reputation and is well known for its excellent health care. If the only reason that you go for a specific health care insurance s because of the price then you should seriously consider your options and shop around for good deals from trusted health care coverage companies.The health care coverage that you choose should be comprehensive and cover all eventualities instead of providing you with only basic health care or coverage that only covers the most unlikely of events. There are policies that are both of the previous and they are usually presented at the most attractive prices that you have ever seen. However, the terms and conditions of every policy will reveal the loopholes and the pitfalls that you will be faced with should anything happen.Health care coverage is extremely important to every individual and should be chosen to suit your individual circumstances. There are health care policies that can be tailored to individual, maternity, short-term, travel and self-employed coverage. When you look at the options, you will be stumped as to know where to begin. You health care coverage premium will all depend on which option you choose, but you can always alter your cover as and when necessary.Medical costs can be extremely high in certain circumstances, but you need to have health care coverage to ensure that you do not have to cover those costs on your own. You can get health care coverage to suit your needs, you are one step closer to a better quality of life.
Senior Assisted Living Vs. Home Health Care: Which One Is for Me?
Being unable to keep up with your home or having difficulty with everyday tasks such as taking a shower or getting dressed is frustrating. Realizing you cannot do it on your own anymore can be scary; however, you are not alone.There is no shame in needing and asking for help. That is why senior assisted living programs and home health assistance programs are available. Choosing a senior assisted living or home health care program doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It is important to be informed and aware of all senior health care options. When you have all the facts, it is much easier to make the decision that will best suit your needs.Home health care allows you to remain in your home while a nurse/aid visits to help you with any daily activities you would normally struggle with on your own. This can mean anything from bathing to administering medications to preparing meals. Normally, people who choose home health care are more enabled than people who choose a senior assisted living program. A senior living program combines housing with assistance for everyday life activities.If you find yourself unsure of which one to choose, it is wise to read the checklist below to help you decide what health care assistance program is right for you.Mobility – Do you find it difficult or painful to get out of bed in order to begin your daily activities? Do you find it difficult to move around your home? Are you unable to drive or with no reliable transportation to get groceries or go to appointments? It’s important to understand that a senior help living community provides reliable transportation for any needed trips. Assisted living also provides services such as housework, cleaning, and laundry, so you don’t have to worry about your limited mobility.Personal Care – Are simple tasks such as eating or dressing yourself too difficult due to pain or illness? Can you accomplish some life tasks, but not others? Home care is not 24/7, but it can be arranged to suit your needs at the times you need them. If you are totally unable to take care of yourself or your home, an assisted living program with its 24/7 available assistance might be a better choice.Medical Issues – Do you suffer from an illness or disease that limits what you can and cannot do? Is it hard for you to administer your medication on your own? A home health care nurse/aid can help you administer medication at your home. An assisted living program can help with any medical treatment required and are on call 24/7.By knowing the answer to these questions, you will better understand your wants and needs. Talk to your health care provider about these topics, especially if you answered “yes” to any of the questions above. Home health care and senior assisted living programs invest in your safety and satisfaction. There are over 31,000 senior assisted living programs nationwide. You are not alone.