Yahoo Small Business Advisor : Manage a Business

How to Handle Hecklers in 3 Easy Steps

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 15:30:56 -0400

Hecklers suck! Trolls are to the Internet as hecklers are to speeches. However, hecklers are a special breed. Internet trolls hide behind the protection anonymity offers. Hecklers shout, “Hey, look at me. I’m a giant ass!” in a room full of people. They’ve got an opinion and more importantly, they aim for attention whore status....

How to Pose Interview Questions You Should Never Ask?

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:39:22 -0400

Hiring managers and HR pros will often close out a job interview by asking an applicant if her or she has any questions themselves. This is a great way to learn about the company’s expectations and the job but it can open a Pandora’s box of potential landmines if you’re not careful. Remember, you’re being...

10 Interviewing Tips to Get You the Job

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:30:08 -0400

Go into every interview with the end-goal of receiving a job offer. Make it your decision as to whether you want to work for the company rather than letting the company determine whether you are a fit. While interviewing is not always easy, there are certain tricks which can be implemented to increase one’s odds...

Is Google A Computer Security Threat?

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:04:12 -0400

Have you ever wondered whether Google is a computer security threat? After all, they do collect an incredible amount of data about you. Instead of telling you whether or not Google is a computer security threat, let’s review all the ways they monitor you on the Web so you can decide for yourself whether or...

Connected Economy Alignment is Value

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:34 -0400

In this connected economy, the challenge is not connectivity – but alignment. If you look for differences you will find them; and if you seek alignment, cooperation, and collaboration, you will find that too. This is why learning to effectively manage your business networks is without question the key to your business success. Alignment is...

First Hands On With iOS 7

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:51:40 -0400

Earlier this week Apple unveiled the 7th version of it’s Mobile Operating system, iOS 7. Apple claimed it to be the most significant change in the Mobile OS since the release of the first iPhone, then known as iPhone OS. New look One of the most notable changes is it’s all New user interface. iOS...

The Nike Accelerator Has A Lot To Offer

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:33:27 -0400

Last December, Nike announced a visionary new program called the Nike Accelerator. The program gave 10 tech startups three months to breathe new life into the Nike+ and NikeFuel product lines. On June 10, all their hard work was put on display at the Nike WHQ Demo Day, where three companies offered particularly compelling mobile...

Quality Telemarketing Always Means Quality Communication

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:00:14 -0400

The title sounds like an old telemarketing lesson but you have no idea how the concept fails to ingrain itself in everyone. Oddly enough, advertising companies and marketers can relate plenty with it. Why? Communication, regardless of medium, demands quality. Unfortunately, some people forget that medium has an impact on that quality as well. Just...

Best Father’s Day Gifts For Your Nerdy Dad

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:32:03 -0400

In this big, big world, there are goofy dads, military dads, sporty dads, and the list goes on and on until you hit the nerdy dads. What makes a nerdy dad nerdy? It could be his glasses or it could be his incredible math skills. It could be how he knows so much about war...

Field Service Awaits the Wearable Future of Mobility

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:26:44 -0400

Service organizations are switching from being reactive to proactive and utilizing mobile solutions to support both the organization and the field technician to do so. For the field service technician, mobile solutions are not only providing important customer information, but also service and equipment history, contracts, parts on order, picture taking capabilities, and GPS functionality...

How The Company Adopted A Stutter: Qquality

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:10:09 -0400

Overheard in the editorial department (2012): “Hey Jody, can you edit this real quick?” “Real quick?” “Yeah, I gotta get it to the client in like 30 minutes.” “How long is it?” “Like 20 pages.” I don’t know how we got into the mindset of thinking of quality like it was some sweet topping that...

A Guide for Giving & Receiving Constructive Criticism

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:58:36 -0400

The biggest thing to remember when giving and receiving constructive criticism is that we are all on the same team. Everyone is trying to achieve the same goal. If I succeed, you succeed, we all succeed. Tips for giving constructive criticism: Don’t react immediately When you are looking at the work for the first time,...

How Can I Tell What My Competitors Are Doing?

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:45:12 -0400

While you’re on the road to success, you may often want to benchmark yourself against your competitors. It’s only natural–and it’s really smart. The fact is that even if your business is doing well, there is always room to improve efficiency. And a great way to assess where you fare in your industry is to...

Money, Motivation and Common Sense

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:30:57 -0400

Here I are again, considering extrinsic rewards and their effect on motivation. Recently I was told that it is obvious that if a person is given more money to do their job, that they will do it better and probably enjoy it more. I stopped myself quoting Deci or Pink, I smiled, politely disagreed and...

Why Intelligent Cross Channel Response Attribution is the Way to Go

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:55:59 -0400

Response attribution, while challenging, provides tremendous benefits. Not only does it provide full visibility into channel performance, it may be used as an input to optimize long term media spend as well. The key benefit for cross channel attribution is to provide visibility into which marketing channels are driving sales well and which are performing...

Finding My First Job After College

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:05:18 -0400

On May 19th I graduated from college- Quinnipiac University, to be precise. It was raining; which to a literature lover was perfectly fitting- in a novel, the weather always mimics the mood. And I was hysterical. The thought of leaving the comfort of my friends and the QU community was daunting. When my mother asked...

Sony Capitalizes on Microsoft’s Xbox One Marketing Fail

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:24:52 -0400

Console gaming used to be for the nerds (much love to my people) and the geeks. Fortunately for everyone, the gamer identity has become mainstream. Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s Playstation 3, and Nintendo’s Wii and Wii U have essentially brought gaming to the masses. Gaming is more popular on Facebook and other online platforms as...

7 Key Elements of a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:00:07 -0400

Crowdfunding can be an effective tool for accomplishing your startup goals. Whether you’re looking to jumpstart your marketing efforts, expand your customer base, or reach out to friends and family for funding, crowdfunding provides a platform to rally support around you and your company. Having worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs who have conducted successful fundraisers,...

5 Biases in Decision Making – Part 2

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:30:55 -0400

This post is part of a 3-Part series on the topic of Biases in Decision Making. Please click here for Part 1. The third installment will be posted next week. Research in behavioral economics and social psychology continuously shows us that people are irrational when they make decisions. Dan Lovallo, professor of business strategy and...

Digital High Five: A Pepsi Vending Machine Only Accepts “Likes”

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:00:20 -0400

We all know how it works: smooth out your crumpled dollar bill, position it for the vending machine to suck up, and receive your beverage of choice. Pepsi, however, has created a machine of a different sort – one that doesn’t accept money in any condition. Pepsi’s new “Like Machine” gives out beverages in exchange...

3 Universal Leadership Lessons From Fatherhood

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:02:00 -0400

As I celebrate my younger daughter's graduation from kindergarten, I can't help but recognize how she's made me a better boss.

Japanese Mobile Messaging Service LINE Updates iOS App And Supports German, Italian and Portuguese

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:50:29 -0400

Asian mobile messaging apps seem to be focussed on the International market. The Japanese free messaging app – LINE which has more than 160 million users had recently confirmed of doubling its efforts in Taiwan by opening a new office and kicking off a fresh recruitment drive in the region. Now the app has German,...

Is Your WordPress Blog More Than 2 Years Old? Fixing Database Bloat Issues!

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:00:48 -0400

Solving Database Bloat The Hidden WordPress Ailment Is your WordPress blog or site over 2 years old? WordPress database bloat may be the hidden cause of a number of issues your blog may be experiencing! (And even if it’s not causing you trouble yet, heading off trouble is a good-hygiene plan for a healthy blog.)...

How IT Sales Leads Are Delivered From Abroad

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:05:44 -0400

If you are afraid of getting your IT sales leads from abroad, just think of it like ordering something from Ebay or Amazon. With so many IT and web companies offering to deliver things all around the world, why do you think your business leads will not be sent to you any differently? Once your...

This Time Waster Could Be Costing You Time, Money, and Your Sanity

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:00:18 -0400

In this article you’ll find tips on how to save time, money, and your sanity by reducing your opportunity costs. I’m sitting on a lawn chair in my garage hosting our annual community garage sale, when an old Ford truck pulls into our driveway. Out comes a tall slender gentleman, about seventy years old, with...

IT Lead Generation Means Know ‘Fix’ From ‘Improve’

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 05:15:46 -0400

It sounds like an easy tip that you might wonder if this is about lead generation or just basic vocabulary. However, the concept of fixing something and improving something are both heavily used in marketing. They also get a little more complex. Take IT lead generation for example. Do you know how important it is...

Maximizing Outsourcing Relationships

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:20:19 -0400

Have you started outsourcing a business function recently? Here are a few tips on how you can maximize your relationship with your service provider.

Reduce Costly Job Hopping

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:05:45 -0400

The Four Year Career Employment’s new normal is short-term job hopping. The Four-Year-Career, as the new trend has been labeled, has large implications on employers in all fields. Employees are spending less time with their employers in each job they have, moving on, and forcing organizations to make-do without them. An Expensive Problem Exit costs,...

Tips to Effectively Handle Negative Online Reviews about Your Lead Generation Campaign

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:05:14 -0400

Bad reviews affect all kinds of business, perhaps most common in telemarketing companies and other lead generation campaigns. In an increasingly mobile and social world, an unflattering online review can have tremendous impact on the way your customers and sales leads judge your brand. Studies show that approximately 75% of consumers trust online reviews, almost as...

How to Stay Secure Online

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:25:56 -0400

So how does one stay secure online? With all of the cybery-hacks out there you need to take care of yourself and be safe. Watch What You Say Be responsible for what you are doing and saying online. You are part of an online community and you need to take other people and their privacy...

The Guilty Millennial

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:05:58 -0400

Calling all stars… calling all millennial stars! Be on the look out for lazy, narcissistic, self-centered, sense of entitlement millennials! They’re wanted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia on charges of reinforcing negative stereotypes. This is obviously not a real situation, but maybe it should be. The reality is that we’re all...

There Is No Such Thing As an Unqualified Sales Prospect

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:52:03 -0400

There is no such thing as an unqualified prospect. That’s right. They don’t exist. Yet I’ve heard countless sales managers ask their salespeople whether or not a prospect is “Qualified.” Maybe even YOU have asked that question of people on your staff. Well, it’s the wrong question. Don’t believe me? Then follow along with this...

Don’t Waste Your Time Documenting Processes, Just Automate Them

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:12:39 -0400

The BPM world is a divided one with many camps. We have methodology on one side and software on the other. But even the software camp is sub-divided further into those which offer repositories and process analysis capabilities and the other which automate and drive work. Admittedly its a simplistic view of the market but...

6 Ways To Avoid Sabotaging Your Career With Burned Bridges

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:50:39 -0400

We’ve all had those days when we want to yell at our boss, quit, and storm out of the office. But burning bridges isn’t the best way to build your career, and chances are you’ll probably regret how you handled it. Even if it is time to leave for new opportunities, you’ll usually be better...

5 Tips For Free And Flexible Technical Training

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:15:40 -0400

Instead of paying an IT expert, many small businesses rely on the owner or a non-technical employee to handle any computing and technical issues that arise. But even an “involuntary IT manager” will need training to keep a small business up and running.

Data at the Core: A Take on the Acquisition of ExactTarget by Salesforce

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:05:15 -0400

It seems that the other shoe has dropped following Oracle’s acquisition of Eloqua with the recent news about Salesforce.com (SFDC) scooping up ExactTarget. With their purchase, SFDC adds to their toolkit a marketing platform for email, SMS, and social campaign management. This move further condenses the marketplace, and has all of the players in the...

5 Tips to Grow Your Business With Social Proof

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:50:12 -0400

Sharing Customer Feedback for Maximum Exposure “Don’t use this company. It sucks.” What would you prefer? Reading that statement from the outset and saving your time and money? Or finding out way too late that a company does indeed suck? This is the value of social proof. It lets people hear voices besides your own...

3 Keys to Entrepreneurial Success

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:53:41 -0400

Three things determine a company's adherence: Focus, competence, and passion. Multiply them together, and you've got a measure of a company's stick-to-it-tive-ness.

GreetZap App – Wish Your Loved Ones With Personalized Messages

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:35:35 -0400

The GreetZap app launched by Times Mobile, promises to be a social gifting app where you can send cards and greetings to your loved ones on special occasions. The app service that promises to deliver a personal touch to their greetings, has recently introduced ‘Social Connect’ on to their app. This new feature enables the...

7 Interview Mistakes That Scare Away Top Talent

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:30:47 -0400

Employers may think they hold all the cards when it comes to interviewing job candidates, but they too can do things that will scare off would-be workers. That may not matter if it’s a low-level position the company is seeking to fill, but if its top talent the company is after, then interviewers have to...