My Small Business Consultants

I just received confirmation that the Writers Guild will be hosting us for our May meeting on May 27, 2009 @ 7 pm. The Writers Guild is located on Fairfax and 3rd.

Here is the initial PR info for the event:

“From Camera to YouTube” – A New Media Workshop presented by New Media Interchange

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 – 7 pm
“From Camera to YouTube” will show you the process of creating any New Media project from initial recording to final placement on YouTube (or other video sharing site).
We will demonstrate different types of cameras and their unique pros and cons, discuss audio recording and microphones, editing software, and online services designed to host, share and distribute your new media projects to the world.
“From Camera to YouTube” is designed to give you the information you need to start creating New Media projects today. Bring your most pressing questions.
You’ll also get a opportunity to hear how the Writers Guild is addressing New Media and its unique challenges for writers.
New Media Interchange is a free group dedicated to bringing the power of New Media to everyone. You can find more information on our web site at http://newmediainterchange.com and our community/discussion site, http://community.newmediainterchange.com.

A great little article by Chris Brogan about online content.  It’s a good idea to keep this article in mind when planning your next blog, website, podcast, facebook page, etc.

Make Media Work for You- Elements of Good Online Content

April 15, 2009 · Comments

If I’m going to tell companies that content marketing is important, I should probably give my thoughts on how to make it useful. I’m thinking about blogging, podcasting, shooting photos, making video, and all the other tools social media allows us to use to tell stories (not market). In my ideas, I give you nuggets of what matters to me in media making, and what I believe will matter to your prospective audience. Not your customers, per se. Maybe this is for internal audiences. Instead of thinking B2B vs B2C, just think “human.” These are elements I feel humans want.

What do you think?

Elements of Good Online Content

• Be Brief – No matter how short the video or blog piece or podcast is, make it shorter. No matter how many pictures you took, choose only the few that make your point.
• Make it Portable - If you’re going to bother making media, make it easy for people to share it, use it, shift it around. Think embeds in YouTube. Think RSS and email delivery, etc.
• Make it Useful - No one wants to read about your product. They want to read something that empowers them. That’s why books sell. We read them to improve ourselves. We buy cars to feel better or to move our families around.
• Make it Personal - Repurposing your TV commercial for YouTube isn’t enough. That’s okay to do, as well, but why stop there? Video is free and cheap. So is blog content. So are photos. Do something memorable by making stories about your customers, your employees, whoever matters.
• Make it Fresh - Wow, there is a lot of redundant content out there. I’m going to say it before you do: some of mine is redundant. One reason you don’t often ding me for that is because I try to find a fresh angle. It doesn’t always work. But if you don’t try…
• Make it Relate to Your Business – Let’s not be too noble here. If you’re looking to sell blenders, You can’t do better than BlendTec. If you’re looking to sell computers, you might be the next Digital Nomads. It doesn’t have to be pure and noble. Just be clear when you’re helping versus when you’re selling.

Make Media Work for You- Elements of Good Online Content | chrisbrogan.com

The following is an article I received from Nidhi Mathson from Earthtone.

Faced with the need to cut costs, businesses of all sizes regularly resort to ‘reducing headcount.’ But unlike their counterparts at large, publicly listed companies, owners and managers of smaller businesses have much more than today’s share price to think about when they have to reduce costs. For a small business, replacing experienced, talented individuals will be both costly and necessary in the longer term. So, how can they cut costs in the short term without compromising their long-term interests? Earthtone, an online print marketplace that small businesses use to save money by comparing quotes from hundreds of independent printers before choosing the one best suited to their needs, offers a few ideas:

1. Enlist your team’s help. Your team can help you make your business more efficient. Maybe your team has identified a bottleneck that the management hasn’t seen. Perhaps they know how other businesses are cutting costs. Everyone’s incentivized to help you make the savings needed to avoid lay-offs.
2. Shop around for big ticket items. Whether it’s insurance, business travel or printing essentials like your business cards or your company brochure, using comparison sites like Compare The Market, Expedia or Earthtone can help you find the same product at a better price.
3. Connect over the Web. You can use the Internet to shrink the cost of long-distance business. Services like Skype and Go-To Meeting let you meet “face-to face” with your counterparts in other cities and countries at little or no cost.
4. Get your services on demand. You can avoid costly investment in things like e-mail servers, high-spec printers or expensive software by tapping into ‘cloud’ or ‘as a Service’ solutions. Microsoft Office Live, Earthtone, Google Docs and others specialize in providing the resources businesses need while helping them avoid unnecessary upfront investment.

More information about Earthtone
Earthtone is the first non-proprietary e-commerce platform connecting businesses and professionals to local print providers across the world. With US operations based in New York and headquarters in London, the company makes it easy for end-users to search for, compare and buy from any print provider in its extensive network. At the same time, Earthtone provides any print business, regardless of size, brand or location with a world class e-commerce capability and the opportunity to grow by attracting new business from across the web. For more information about Earthtone, please visit: www.earthtone.net

The following is a press release from My1voice.  If you are looking to replace or upgrade your existing phone service, this might be a product to look at.

Conference Calling, Tagging, Improved Routing and Dial to Extension added to service
 
Ottawa (March 26, 2009) my1voice, the cost-effective and feature-rich virtual PBX phone service designed for home offices and small businesses, today announced several enhancements that increase user convenience, professionalism and efficiency. Based on customer feedback, users can now benefit from new features that include conference calling, caller ID tagging, request routing, caller ID routing and call forwarding to an extension.
 
“Quality communication is the cornerstone of customer service,” said Joseph Nour, CEO of Protus, the provider of my1voice. “And in the current economy, it’s customer service that will win the day. my1voice provides start-ups, entrepreneurs, business people with multiple offices and others the type of customizable communications options that haven’t been available in the past to small businesses, helping them show a more professional face to their customers and business partners.”
 
The enhancements are designed to improve the my1voice user experience, satisfaction, and flexibility while providing an increased level of professionalism and business communications for the user’s company. The new features include: 
 
Conference Calling
The new conference calling feature allows my1voice users the ability to add additional parties to a my1voice call that is already in progress. With the conference calling option, users can bring in resources as-needed rather than having several people sitting through the entire call when only parts of it pertain to them. Other parties do not have to call a specific phone number to become connected since the my1voice user acts as a host to bring an unlimited number of parties onto a call.
 
Caller ID Tagging Identifies my1voice Calls
To distinguish my1voice calls from direct phone calls, a ‘tag’ can now be added to the Caller ID. This allows the my1voice user to answer appropriately – by company name for business calls or a casual manner for personal calls.
 
Request Routing
This feature offers a variety of options that help improve customer service by asking callers to enter numbers or letters on their phones’ keypad. For example, callers may be asked to enter their Zip Code or area code so calls can be routed to an extension in that geographical area or the person with knowledge of a particular area. Callers who need information but don’t need to speak with anyone can be directed to a pre-recorded message.     
 
Caller ID Routing
This feature allows organizations to take caller ID to the next level with rules that can be set to exactly match the caller id, or just part of the id. Before a call is answered by the auto attendant greeting, it can be routed directly to an extension, mailbox, informational message or can even be rejected – all based on the incoming caller ID. For example, a rule may route the phone number to his or her sales person or to the customer service representative handling that area code. Other rules can be determined by what uniquely fits the my1voice user.
 
Find Me-Follow Me Dialing to an Extension
my1voice users can now extend their calls to any type of phone, including one that is serviced through another PBX system, making it ideal for business owners who are starting or running a business while working for another company.
 
my1voice is a virtual PBX service that uses existing telephone equipment, making it a fraction of the cost compared to a traditional PBX system. It provides communications features such as auto-attendant, multiple extensions and voicemail services that give a professional face to callers while also allowing small to medium-sized business employees to stay in touch with the office via phone, email or the web.
 
About my1voice
my1voice is a cost-effective, feature-rich virtual PBX phone system designed specifically for organizations with one to 25 employees that want professional-quality business telephone services without the overhead of installing and maintaining special phone equipment. Unlike standard, equipment-based PBX systems, my1voice allows businesses to obtain benefits such as auto attendant, multiple extensions, voice mail and more whether employees are inside or outside the company walls. It is part of a total Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business communications offered by Protus that also includes MyFax, the fastest-growing Internet fax service used by individuals, small, medium and large business, and Campaigner, an email marketing solution with advanced automation features. Additional information is available at www.my1voice.com.