The Small Biz. Guru / Smart Business Guru

Ironman Miami.. Whoops! Ironman Access Whoops!

2010-11-06T15:50:00.000-04:00

Company Does What A Lot Will Not... Take Responsibility

Refreshing. That is as simple as I can put it. I feel like I bit into a York Peppermint Patty . We live in a world where businesses may preach transparency, but typically they try to blame others for issues, and/or deny ownership. Consumers often feel that they are powerless and are never heard. Brands and images take a huge hit and unless a company is really listening, it may never know, and I believe that many do not care. Social media may provide an opportunity for instant feedback, but many companies are too slow to move or do not move. However, what I saw from the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), who owns the Ironman Triathlon brand and its CEO, Ben Fertic, in response to Ironman Miami 70.3 and Ironman Access shows one thing: this company understands that its brand is precious and "image is everything".

While some of you have not experienced the sweet nectar that is Triathlon, the Ironman Brand puts on events that are extremely organized, prepared, and well-run (and, oh so hard). Having put on bicycle races in the past, I know most participants do not even know how much of a logistical nightmare these races are and they should not care since they are investing so much. The entry fees alone may cost anywhere from $200-$1000 and this does not include their travel, equipment, and lodging. Participants have invested money and more importantly hundreds of hours in training for an event. When things go wrong, they are going to voice their opinions. Enter Ironman Miami 70.3 and the licensee, Paramount Productions.

The short and sweet of what happened was that the WTC licensed its name/brand "Ironman" to another company to host an event in South Florida. Little did they know, there would be major issues that would reflect on them. The consensus was that the event was poorly organized. We're talking participants did not have enough access to water or porta-potties, street conditions were hazardous, etc. Can you imagine racing (for non-pros) four to eight hours in this? If you want more information, the story is here. One participant was quoted saying,

“Ironman, you should be embarrassed.”

Yikes. Not good. Word of mouth alone could destroy this location's event (the inaugural one at that) and would reflect on Ironman as a whole. A brand relies on the trust and relationships between the company and consumer. It is what personifies them. This is a company that understands its customers and the extreme need to protect its image and brand. Hello, Johnson & Johnson and the Tylenol Nightmare. Ironman came out with a press release saying they are taking over the race for 2011 and are waiving their entry fee to their next event. AWESOME.

Here is why this press release and action should be a template for all businesses.

Briefly explained the situation and apologized
Acknowledged the dissatisfaction
Put in writing the steps they are taking to resolve the situation
Offered a pass for another event

How can a participant be mad with that response? That is how one keeps their brand safe. Acknowledge the issues, apologizes, and works to resolve. I am not saying that a poorly managed athletic event compares to people dying, but the marketing lessons are similar. WTC seems to have followed the J&J example. I dug up an article from 1986 about the J&J Tylenol issue and the way it was handled left this image in the minds of its consumers.

Johnson & Johnson seems to have built up considerable public confidence. ''Nobody blamed Tylenol, nobody blamed J.& J.,'' said Judith Langer, the president of Langer Associates, a market research concern.

If Ironman either ignored this or simply apologized, the event next year would certainly suffer.

The reaction to the WTC’s actions was pretty positive. Fred Mehrer posted “Way to step up WTC”, while Miami resident Andreai Nana said “Admitting fault and offering a clear plan to correct the mistake was the right thing to do.”

WTC was trying something new (Ironman Access) to try to expand and enhance the triathlon experience. However, the feedback from emails and social media outlets were so bad that the CEO made a video apologizing and reversed the plan.

"So, we’re going to rescind the Ironman Access program. We’ll refund the money. And I just wanted to say personally that we’re sorry we disappointed you. We’re human. We make mistakes, but we’re listening."

AWESOME. This, on so many levels, shows how this company, this brand, is tied to the end-user. Companies are going to try to do new things to enhance the experience for its customers. Sometimes they will work out, sometimes they will not. The important factor is that they listen and they are showing they are.

In the end, WTC could have blamed the company it licensed its name out to and done not much else. But, because protecting its house-hold name is so crucial, it attacked quickly to resolve all issues. Ultimately, satisfying the consumer/participants and protecting the 'ole brand equity.

~the GURU

P.S. I did my first Ironman 70.3 in September and had a blast.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 Review

2010-09-13T13:23:00.012-04:00

My Renewed "Engagement Ring"

While this review is rather delayed, better late than never. Especially since this phone is now free with promos.

Why upgrade to the BlackBerry Bold 9700?

Initial Needs: 3G phone FINALLY! Send/receive emails and talk on the phone at the same time (thank you AT&T network!), and a sleeker /more compact size.

The link for all the nitty-gritty details is at the bottom.

Here Is My Review:

Ease-of-Use:

Buttons: Moving from the 8820 to the Bold was a welcomed change. The QWERTY keyboard is smaller and more compact. At first, it is a little difficult, but I quickly adapted to the change. The buttons on the Bold are precise even with no spaces between them, but are easy to hit. My larger hands do not have problems with the keys.

Call Quality: Much better than my 8820. No complaints. The occasional dropped call, but no different than any other network.

~~Scroll~~ Track ~~Ball~~ Pad: The TRACK pad is awesome. This is probably my favorite upgrade on the phone. No more ball! It occasionally doesn't respond immediately (less than the scroll ball), but it is very fluid most of the time.

Battery Life: It does a great job. On my three to four day trips, I was never worried. But, I do not talk all day on the phone.

Extra Features: The phone has a stop watch, timer, and many more games. It also has applications to work with Microsoft Excel (read, edit, etc) and Word. The back of the phone is leather which helps prevent it from sliding around too much. The trim is metal, which continues to make the phone look sleek.

Access: 3G is amazing. Being on the AT&T network allows me to talk and text at the same time. I rarely have issues with dropped calls. This is vital when on a conference call and I need to reply to emails during. This phone is Wi-Fi capable. It is nice to be able to access the internet faster when in a hot spot.

Screen: It is pretty sweet. No complaints on the resolution. The colors are very rich and sharp.

Camera: Pretty good camera for a camera phone. However, I never really use it. If you want to shoot video, you need to buy a memory card.

Accessories: The two ear phone head set is great. It is weird listening to a phone call with 'surround' sound.

A Couple Notes:
-The phone would occasionally load while on.... meaning that a pesky hour glass would show itself and not let me use my phone for a few minutes. I do not know why it did it, but it was frustrating at times.
-While using the track pad, sometimes when I scroll up, my fingers go off the pad and rub the screen, slowing my scroll. It could just be me, but it happened every so often.
-The phone may feel cheaper to some people, but I assure you, it is not. It is just a lot lighter than other phones.
-The 9700 is on AT&T's network.

Overall:

Pros:
*Easy to use
*AMAZING screen resolution / colorful
*Visual voice mail
*Light
*Compact for a full QWERTY keyboard
*3G Internet Access
*Wi-FI
*Email / Voice simultaneously
*Track Pad
*Small and compact

Cons:
*Phone has to load -- annoying hour glass
*Track Pad is slightly too close to screen

In closing:

Upgrading to this phone was great. The aesthetics on the phone are superior to my previous phones. The track pad and 3G service is fantastic . The amazing screen resolution allows you to see documents and websites clearly. Despite the occasional need for the phone to load while on is not a deal breaker. I would highly recommend this smart phone.

9.3/10

Here is the Link to BlackBerry's Official Page

~ the GURU

Blackberry Bold 9700 Review

2010-04-11T13:58:00.002-04:00

A review of the Blackberry Bold 9700 is in the works!!

Ask and You Shall Receive

2009-07-30T16:36:00.011-04:00

I pulled this from July 2008 blurb from BusinessWeek (sorry no link). Wow. Long time. However, it remains relevant as things have been turn up-side in the world.

Driving Sustainable Innovation in Tough Times
Posted by: on July 09
While many companies are hunkering down during the current economic storm, smart companies understand that it is critical to drive the market, instead of being driven down by it. CEOs have to be committed to sustainable innovation, and management must make its commitment to innovation palpable.
Here are several ways for management to drive the innovation culture at your company:
•Invest in people. Develop innovation capabilities by providing innovation best-practices training.
•Reward wanted behavior. Publicly reward those who distinguish themselves as innovators. Two examples: Create annual innovators awards. Build a wall of innovation.

•Invest in infrastructure to support sustainable innovation.
•Visibility to corporate objectives. Often investment is wasted on ideas that are doomed from the start because they are not aligned with the needs of the company. Knowledge-workers must be able to integrate corporate strategy into their innovation paths.

•Practice innovation. Workers must practice innovation in everything they do. Managers must support innovation workers and not push employees to short-circuit the solution process.

Managers who avoid taking responsibility for driving an innovation culture by using the crutch of "adoption must be a grassroots thing" will always be met with failure and left wondering why they can't achieve their repeatable innovation goals.

James Todhunter
Chief Technology Officer
Invention Machine
Boston

Investing in people.... a hard concept to believe in currently, given the extremely high levels of unemployment. People are always the first to go due to the knee-jerk reaction of "cutting costs." It is one thing if it is a lazy or extremely under performing employee, but if you wipe-out the heart of your business, the people, it is harder to innovate and adapt. Businesses cannot expect their computers to change their business for them. It takes the insight of your employees on what needs to be changed to move forward.

Everyone is worried about costs. Sales drop off and revenue is not coming in, so survival is, of course, one's goal. However, survival will not come from ridding the people. How are sales supposed to come in? How are new markets supposed to be tapped? How can the business model change? How can anything be changed for the better without people?

Innovation is a scary word for some. I think a lot of people believe it strictly involves some expensive computer system or technology that is thrown into the business and expected to do all the work. Or that it is for the "big guys".

Let's take a restaurant for example. Margins are typically very slim for some establishments, so wherever they can save costs and increase revenues/traffic is a major plus. I think simply signing up for Twitter or Facebook is innovating. The business is increasing its exposure to a internet-socially networked obsessed demographic. Using Twitter to spread information about meal specials to those 'select few' who follow is free! FREE! For instance, a teenager is checking Facebook/Twitter and sees the specials. When the parents ask about where they should go for dinner, the teenager can suggest the restaurant and the specials. It eliminates the guess work. To me, this is innovation. You are changing a portion of your business model to lower costs, but increase traffic..... all for free. Before all the business magazines and media stations talked about Twitter, I bet if you asked the sixteen year old server, he would have told you about this... oh, but wait, you let him go.

If you lose people, how will ideas like this surface? Open the lines of communication in your business before letting people go. You will be amazed at how people will come up with ideas to help save costs and think about evolving the business model. Firing everyone when things are rough limits you when things pick back up again and you're left in the dust because you let everyone go. I understand there are always some employees who are not holding their weight and are more fluff than anything. Thus, they most likely need to be let go. But, when it comes to overall economic turmoil, talk with your employees about evolving the business and getting their $.02. They may just have that one idea that could change everything.

~the GURU

Review Update: Blackberry Curve (Verizon) & 8820 (AT&T)

2009-02-27T21:02:00.005-05:00

A Few More Months of Testing

Blackberry 8820

*This phone is AWFUL in the wind. The input microphone is right below the keypad on the right, so the wind easily rushes right past it.

*The keyboard is nice to type on. I wish the buttons were slightly more crisp in responsiveness, but all in all, I like them.

*Why does the input language keep switching?!!! Even when I have the phone locked, it changes my language preset. It bothers me that when I try to write an email sometimes, it comes out in a different language.

*The microphone may be too close to the speaker's mouth so the person on the other end hears your voice as slightly muddled.

*AT&T's Edge Network: FASTER than Verizon's 1xEV. (Non-3G phones) Don't believe anything else.

Blackberry Curve

*This phone is much better in the wind than the 8820. I believe the reason is because the microphone is on the bottom edge of the phone.

*The keypad buttons are too spaced out, so I have to "peck" more at the buttons. The buttons could be bigger.

*Input language does not change ever.

*Verizon's Network: SLOWER than AT&T's. (Non-3G phones)

~the GURU

Brief Response to the Article

2009-02-26T20:19:00.007-05:00

Things Change So Quickly

I was very fortunate to be contacted by Rachel Brown, a free lance writer, who was writing about rural telecommunications, businesses, and the potential effects of the economy. I was contacted in the early Summer (before things, well, got stirred up..)

The excerpt pertinent to my section:

Focusing on the business side of the shop, another analyst said small telcos may actually benefit from a recession as businesses turn to them for a competitive edge. "Most small businesses realize that you get what you pay for," explained Zane Schweer, a small business telecommunications specialist. "If they skimp on telecommunications, it's not a good business move. You need telecommunications to survive. It's how you pull in clients, it's how you place orders, it's how you communicate."

For most companies, telecommunications is only 3% to 5% of the budget, Schweer said, adding that in a recession, many will look to additional telecommunications services to improve their bottom line. "Telecommunications is what drives businesses forward," he said. "It's not just a budget cost; it's an investment and revenue generator. A lot of businesses are looking to grow. They're not scared of an economic downturn."
Schweer also questioned whether the economy is truly in terrible shape. "If you turn on the news, it's all negative and there's too much emphasis on the economy," he said. "They don't focus on the positives."

Even the high cost of gas can be viewed positively, Schweer said. "Gas prices are pinching people, but it spurs innovation," he said, adding that telecommunications solutions can lower gas consumption. "Say that you have a fleet of trucks. With wireless and tracking technology, you can ensure that no one's getting lost or taking extra trips. If a driver comes in and has a 30-minute detour, you can ask, 'What's this about?"'

Higher gas prices also will spur video conferencing, Schweer said. "It's not as personal [as face-to-face meetings], but after 9/11, it's much cheaper and safer," he said. "And with cameras that move in the room and offer three-dimensional pictures, it almost feels as if you're there."

RTFC's Buchanan agreed that the green movement is growing. "In a world with increased energy costs, telecommunications assumes an even greater importance," he said, speculating that high gas prices will spur more telecommuting. "If people work from home, they'll need high-speed access to get into their company's virtual private network, so that means more broadband installations."

King and West said they haven't seen a huge shift toward telecommuting yet, but King agreed it's still a positive trend for rural carriers. "More people working from home translates into increased usage in residential landlines and increased demand for broadband," he said.

As another gas-saving example, Schweer cited a salesman who drives to client A and then back to headquarters to check e-mail and voice mail and then drives to client B. "With a BlackBerry, he can log in remotely and drive directly to client B," Schweer said. "In rural areas especially, this can translate into big distances--it's not uncommon to have 50 to 75 miles between clients. You want to be as efficient as possible, and telecommunications is what allows that."

I wanted to comment quickly on a couple of my remarks. I am sure some of you laughed when I said business' telecom. budgets are 3-5% of their expenses. It certainly depends on the industry and the type of customer. For example to look at the far extremes, an ISP provider's telecom expense is going to be fairly high (ie investing in a huge pipe of bandwidth and redundancy) while a Quickie shop would barely have any (ie couple lines and a DSL).

The blurring of the telecommunications and information technology fields also makes that 3-5% seem inaccurate and I embrace that fact. I was considering a simple, yet emerging small business.

Now, when I was interviewed, all the news of scandal and inappropriate money practices was unbeknownst to me (and the rest of U.S. and world), so I truly believed things were being over-played. I would be silly to still say everything is not a problem. Things are tough. Companies are laying hard-working people off left and right. But for media outlets to continually harp that we are doomed and in a Depression is overkill. Even President Obama is using words like "catastrophic". Let's stop using scare tactics here to push certain agendas. We are coping with a lot, but people are learning how to survive and push forward.

With the dynamic environment that we are in, we will see who the strong businesses are and weed out the weaker ones. It is painful and people are dealing with a plethora of hardships, but with hardships comes innovation. With innovation comes success and with success comes a rebound of the economy. (It will not happen overnight) There is a lot of good going on in the corporate world right now, but too many outlets are focusing on negatives all day long. (ie Cobblers See Resurgence (they aren't going to save the economy, but they are part of it) or AT&T Brining Back 4,000 Jobs (yes, they did lay off 12,000, but they are bringing jobs back from overseas), Manufacturing Moving Strong) We're in a rebuilding phase.

The rest of the article in relation to me continues on about innovation and looks for ways to streamline. A lot of businesses and people are in a certain routine and all it takes is for someone to come along and provide an alternative view point that garners value and of course, cost justification. Answering the question of, "How will this save me time, which will save me money?"

Every penny is being re-analyzed today. People need to evaluate how they do business. Invest time in contemplating alternative ways of doing business. If you have multiple locations that you travel between many times for meetings, why not, for example, invest in a multi-location video conference solution? Reduce windshield time, save gas money, and sit in your favorite chair. Do not go cutting all your expenses just to save money because if it affects how your provide service to your clients, you will do more hard then good.

I know I have sort of jumped around in this post, but on a whole, telecommunication companies, especially the rural ones are providing valuable service to clients. The reliance on telco. establishments to provide innovative solutions for you is only gaining momentum because if they do not, how will you reach your customers in the future? More importantly, how will they reach you?

~the GURU

The Guru was Interviewed

2008-12-21T18:57:00.003-05:00

The GURU was briefly interviewed about Telecom.

A telco survival guide

The interview took place in the early summer, so some of my viewpoints have since shifted and I'll discuss them on a later post.

~the GURU

Would You Bet On It?

2008-11-30T18:30:00.002-05:00

Avoiding These Dangers Can Save Your Business

"Seven Ways To Fail Big"

http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/flatmm/hbrextras/200809/failbig/index.html

Adapted from "Seven Ways to Fail Big," the September 2008 Harvard Business Review article by Paul B. Carroll and Chunka Mui

As the economy continues to keep us guessing, it is even more critical that each move you make, makes sense! Watch the 10 minute seminar to get a brief overview.

~the GURU

Product Review: BlackBerry 8820

2008-09-28T18:23:00.009-04:00

My New "Engagement Ring"

I reviewed the BlackBerry Curve (Verizon) a couple months ago and this month I reviewed the BlackBerry 8820 (AT&T).

Why a BlackBerry 8820?

Initial Needs: Send/receive emails, ease of use when it came to typing emails, ability for clients to reach me out of the office, easy to use/view calendar to schedule work. This BlackBerry is provided for work, not personal use.

I could bore you with all the specific specifications about the phone, but most users just want a phone that works. (There is a link at the bottom for all the nitty-gritty details) As a result, I am detailing my experiences with the phone through out my work day.

Here Is My Review:

Ease-of-Use:

Buttons: Typing on the 882o is amazing! Compared to my BB Curve, where the buttons have small spaces between them and are smaller, the buttons on the 8820 are full, rectangular, and easy to hit. When it comes to dialing phone numbers, it is slightly more difficult (compared to a regular cell phone) as there are many more keys and the numbers are on the left side. Nevertheless, despite my bigger hands, I have no real problem punching in the numbers.

Call Quality: The voice on the other end is pretty clear. The phone does have an "airy" sound during the call, which is somewhat distracting and makes it at times a little hard to hear. However, I do not have my ear piece volume all the way up. It can go to a very loud setting. For me, I have it set at the second softest level. The main issue with the call quality is when I am speaking, the phone seems to have "bounce back". I feel my voice is bouncing off the phone.

Scroll Ball: The scroll ball is the main way the user maneuvers between applications. It is utilized by either moving it up, down, left, or right. The user can also press it to make selections instead of the arrow enter key on the keyboard (see image below). I have no problems scrolling in either direction. (On the Curve, it does not scroll as well to the left)

Battery Life: It does a good job. I will say I have not been using it non-stop yet, just emails and a couple calls, so I do not feel ready to give input on battery life. I will update this portion later.

Navigation: The user explores the phone through the 5 top bar buttons. Predominately, I use the scroll ball, the multi-dot button, and the half-circled arrow button. The multi-dot button allows me to bring up prompts for more detailed windows and to access the full list of applications. The half-arrow button allows me to go-back a screen. Then of course, is the scroll ball which the user uses to select and click the desired applications.

The phone comes with loads of applications, which clutters the navigation fields. As a result, I have hidden most of them as they are entertainment based applications. This is a work-phone, it's supposed to be bland. Haha! It is very easy to customize the phone. I can move my more frequently used applications to my main screen. I can select one option to associate with the side button on the phone for rapid selection. I have the ringer control on the left quick button. One issue I have with customizing the screen is that I cannot have the "L" shaped icon set-up compared to my Curve. I am not sure if this is a Verizon vs. AT&T phone thing or not.

Access: This phone is Wi-Fi capable and I used it the other day. It is nice to be able to access the internet faster when in a hot spot. It moves pretty quickly. I have not tried the GPS nor any of the additional applications. I've been on the EDGE network, no 3G cities yet, but I have no complaints. I cannot wait to try it on the 3G network.

Screen: It is pretty sweet. No complaints on the resolution. The colors are very rich. Compared to the Curve, the screen colors are brighter and not as dull/fuzzy. They are also slightly sharper. I do clean it often as the oils from my skin transfer onto the screen.

Camera: n/a. This is for WORK!!

Accessories: My boss ordered a hip holster case. (I'm that cool now). Unless I lock the phone, buttons are hit when I slide it into the case. It almost deleted a contact once. The phone also comes with a ear piece. It can go in both ears which is cool as it's a phone conversation in "surround sound".

Software: The BB 8820 comes with software to sync/manage with your computer. It works well if your computer's hardware can process it smoothly.

Overall:

Pros:
*Easy to use
*Great screen resolution / colorful
*Light
*Compact for a full QWERTY keyboard
*Internet Access
*Wi-FI
*Full Keys -- easy to type
*Scroll Ball is very fluid
*Slimmer than the Curve

Cons:
*Voice "bounce back" when user speaks
*"Airy" sound when making and having a call
*Wider and longer than the Curve (but for reading emails, t
*Ringer is very loud even on the medium setting

In closing:

I find this phone very useful. The typing easy of use and ability to send/receive emails is great. The screen is bright and crisp. Just like the Curve, you rely on the scroll ball, if something were to go wrong, you're in trouble. For a business professional, this is a great phone. The bigger keys allow you to write emails well and avoid a lot of typos/misspellings. It has certainly improved my productivity outside of the office when in the field.

8.9/10

Here is the Link to BlackBerry's Official Page

~ the GURU

BlackBerry 8820 Review Coming soon

2008-09-15T17:38:00.001-04:00

Review will be posted soon.

When To Stop Your IT Investments?

2008-09-04T20:16:00.011-04:00

IT Success is All in the Approach

Long time, no post everyone! Sorry I have been MIA. Life has been hectic (brother off to college, promoted at work, knee issues with cycling, and building a restaurant reviews website/blog), but I'm starting to find a routine again.

As you all know, I am pro-IT. I think the opportunities Information Technology can bring a business and society as a whole are amazing and still an untapped resource that many businesses do not take advantage of because energies are focused elsewhere. But, in this post, we're talking about control IT costs because they can lose focus on the ultimate goal.

I was reading an article from Harvard Business Publishing that gave a very brief and succinct overview of IT costs and how to manage them. The article is by Susan Cramm, link here. We all have budgets that we need to try to stay in and sometimes when the goals are not clearly laid out, budgets are "bent". This is not good. IT investments are rarely cheap, but if your IT team and your vendors work well together uncovering how a solution will bring BENEFITS and RESULTS, the investment will be worthwhile.

However, I do disagree with Ms. Cramm's statement below:

The key to further, smart, cost reductions is to recognize the fact that, in general, companies spend too much on IT because they are unwilling to say "no" to IT-related requests. The path of least resistance seems to rule the day: Too many projects are funded, too many die a slow death, too much technology is procured, too many quality defects are tolerated, and users require too much hand holding.

Through my experience to date, a lot of businesses shut down IT projects/management without looking at what the project's goals are. A great example, your stressed out and over-stretched IT guy manages everything from email/spam management, security processes, phone systems, routers, network management, bandwidth allocation, data management, and puts out all the fires your fellow employees create. Now, any IT guru will say the problems they deal with the most is the nagging processes... email/spam. This results in the IT guy not being able to focus his efforts elsewhere. Imagine if you could pay your service provider to MANAGE your email/spam filters for you?! Your IT guy would thank you and he could focus on solving and creating solutions your business is facing. This project would not suffer a slow death. But, too many businesses are scared to let go of these projects because they are stuck on the idea they have to manage everything for it to work. Take off one of the hats you wear and give it to someone else.

Moving back to the main point of the article, sorry about the little tangent that isn't really applicable to the article. Having clearly defined goals are critical for project success. I recently took a Project Management course and having a PM can really help keep projects on course. Just something to think about.

At the end of the day, businesses need to look at the project's progress and see if the BENEFITS are becoming apparent. If they are not, cancel the project. If there are some delays, but the benefits are being seen, continue a little longer.

Finally, a lot of projects become out-of-hand because the full support from everyone is not there. A problem I see a lot of businesses facing is that only a few people see the benefit of the project and the rest could care less. As a result, people are not depending and routing on its success. It is more of a "status quo" mindset. If you're going to set strict deadlines, you better give the project your best effort. No half-bassing it.

What are your thoughts on this? How have you approached your projects in the past? How are you approaching them currently?

Like the article says how do you manage the "truth" when it comes to your projects?

~the GURU

The GURU is still alive

2008-08-28T15:25:00.003-04:00

To my readers, I have been recently promoted at work. As a result, I have been ramping myself up for my new position and that is why my posts have stopped.

I'll be back soon!

~the GURU

How Mobile is Your Business?

2008-08-09T11:45:00.002-04:00

THE BUSINESS “OFFICE” IS NOW MORE MOBILE THAN EVER —
Business owners include a “no Strings attached” communications solution

Let's be honest.... Receiving information in real time creates a lean, agile, always in the loop work-force

The Wireless Revolution (WR) is upon us and it allowing businesses to do more than ever. Workers are no longer constrained to conducting business in the office or at their client’s locale. Wireless technology allows business owners to always be “in the office.”

The benefits are infinite and the we’re on the cusp of the tremendous changes in the telecommunications industry. While there will still be critical land line based services, the more basic services are going wireless because the “office” is going mobile.

Whether you Need:
*track where truck fleets are going (especially with gas prices, “side stops” are even more costly)
*need air cards for internet anytime anywhere
*Push to Talk Phones,

Wireless providers will have a solution for you. Have you discussed recently with your wireless contacts/account managers about how you currently utilize mobility and if you do not have a solution, thought about developing one?

Business Owners are always running around, mobility is a person’s RSS Feed to their business.

There are awesome ways to craft a solution that creates an even more effective business model and reduce costs.

I will say AT&T has a great website that explains some of the applications available. For the curious business owners, AT&T’s site, http://www.wireless.att.com/home/. Mosey on over and get a taste of all the things that can be provided your business.

Special Points of Interest:
*Wireless Capabilities
*Wireless Lap-Top Solutions
*Wireless Connectivity
*Email / Messaging
*Push to Talk Technology
*Real Time Inventories to Sales People in the field
*Access corporate & ISP email, calendar, & address book
*Certified enterprise solutions
*Custom business applications
*Flexibility & Time Savings
*Built for 3G network
*Robust network & security
*Blackberries, “Push to Talk”
*Lap Top Air cards

~the GURU

Travel Expenses: Hit Smart Businesses HARD

2008-08-04T18:54:00.006-04:00

Tele & Video Conferencing: Very Productive for B2B Communications

The days of cheap travel are pretty much in the past. While businesses still need mobile workforces, controlling costs when it comes to travel is an exponentially growing concern for companies. As the cost increases, finding alternatives may well differentiate a good business from a great business.

Enter tele & video conferencing solutions.

We have meetings all day, everyday, and ease-of-use and accessibility are key.

Why Video-conferencing?
*Want “Face to Face” meetings — business is personal
*Show presentations aside from Power Point
*Safer than travel
*Geography is irrelevant
*Impromptu meetings — no delay
*Record meetings and save for later uses
*Ease of Use
*Major cost reduction
*Less “windshield” time
*Save space: No need for classrooms.
*Distance is NEVER an excuse now.

“If fuel goes any higher, nobody will be flying -- it really and truly is scary. We're just going to have to come up with something else."
--Colleen Barrett, president of Southwest Airlines

Who said business cannot be face to face? Video Conference is almost as personal as F2F

Key Points
Reduce Travel Expenses
Geography is irrelevant
Save Space Save Time
Flexibility & Time Savings
Have a ‘War Room”
Conferences on PC or Meeting Rooms
Safer alternative than typical transportation

~the GURU

Product Review: BlackBerry Curve 8330

2008-07-19T19:51:00.010-04:00

Is this Device Superb or just a Blurb

While this phone has been out for quite some time now, I purchased one a few weeks ago and wanted to share my thoughts.

Why a BlackBerry?

Initial Needs: Send/receive email capability, ease of use when it came to typing text-messages/emails, easy to use/view calendar to schedule life, and a fairly high resolution screen.

Now that I have surpassed the poor service at the store when I purchased the phone I have been able to focus on the phone itself.

I could bore you with all the specific specifications about the phone, but most users just want a phone that works. (There is a link at the bottom for all the nitty-gritty details) As a result, I am detailing my experiences with the phone through out daily life.

Here Is My Review:

Ease-of-Use:

Buttons: I needed to rid myself of the multiple clicking of each button to type out messages, so I knew it would take me some time to adapt to the QWERTY keyboard. I now love it! Typing is much easier and fluid. However, when it comes to dialing phone numbers, it is slightly more difficult as the buttons are somewhat small (I do have big hands). Nevertheless, it is simply the learning curve I am going through and I guess I need to be more nimble with my fingers. I guess all my years of playing the saxophone haven't helped...

Call Quality: The voice on the other end is very crisp and clear. My old phone muttled the speaker's dialogue and I was always asking, "say again?" With this phone, that is not a problem. The volume is great as well. It can go to a very loud setting. For me, I have it set at the second softest level.

Scroll Ball: The scroll ball is the main way the user maneuvers between applications. It is utilized by either moving it up, down, left, or right. The user can also press it to make selections instead of the arrow enter key on the keyboard (see image below). It works great when I am scrolling down to scrolling to the right. I find that it is not as responsive when I scroll up or to the left.

Battery Life: It does a fairly good job. I usually charge it every two days out of habit from my old phone. I do not have a landline phone so this is my main device. I would say I talk about 1.5-2 hours a day on the phone. Then, there is the email/text usage that goes on as well.

Navigation: The user explores the phone through the 5 top bar buttons. Predominately, I use the scroll ball, the multi-dot button, and the half-circled arrow button. The multi-dot button allows me to bring up prompts for more detailed windows and to access the full list of applications. The half-arrow button allows me to go-back a screen. Then of course, is the scroll ball which the user uses to select and click the desired applications.

On a whole, I find the navigation pretty easy to use. I am still learning what each icon/application does, but for the most part, it's fool proof. It is very easy to customize the phone. I can move my more frequently used applications to my main screen. I can also select two applications to associate with the side buttons on the phone for rapid selection. I have the ringer control on the left quick button and the alarm on the right quick button.

Access: I can access the Internet and Google maps which is awesome!! While the download and upload speed are not 3G, I did not have that functionality before so I have no complaints. Users who have had BlackBerries in the past and want faster speeds should invest in a BlackBerry 3G phone. I love the ability to send/receive/read word documents as well.

Screen: It is pretty sweet. I love the resolution compared to my old phone. The colors are very rich. I would say they are more blue-based. I do clean it often as the oils from my skin transfer onto the screen.

Camera: I realized I use the camera more than I thought. It saved me once when Jiffy Lube ran my bike into their garage and I had to take pictures. Also, as my digital camera is on its last leg, it's nice to have a decent camera to take pictures.

Accessories: It comes with a leather holster. One would think it would have a belt loop on it (if you want to be that cool), but it does not. I decided to purchase a rubber protector to put my phone in. As a cyclist, I would hate to have my phone slip out of my sweaty hands when I'm stopped for a break checking messages. Also, we all drop our phones and I want to keep it safe. The phone also comes with a ear piece. It can go in both ears which is cool as it's a phone conversation in "surround sound".

Software: The BB Curve comes with software to sync it up to your computer. Users can transfer files, pictures, etc either to the the phone or to the computer. My computer is three years old and the software brings it to its knees.

Overall:

Pros:
*Easy to use
*Great screen resolution / colorful
*Customizable
*Light
*Compact for a full QWERTY keyboard
*Internet Access

Cons:
*Software brings older computers to knees
*Battery life may be a problem
*Keys do feel a little cheap -- wear and tear may affect visibility of letters/numbers
*Scroll Ball is not as responsive going certain directions
*Vibrate feature is not as apparent

In closing:

I find this phone very useful. The typing functionality and ability to send/receive emails is great. The screen is bright and crisp. However, I hate the reliability on the scroll ball. If something were to go wrong, you're in trouble. I would recommend this phone to a new BlackBerry user.

8.7/10

Here is the Link to BlackBerry's Official Page

~ the GURU

Book Review: Customer Approved Small Business

2008-07-14T20:35:00.012-04:00

Does this book give hope to young businesses?

Schell, Michael. The Customer Approved Small Business.

Approved Publications Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia 2005.

By The Small Biz. Guru, Zane Schweer

It is 3:11am. He just downed his seventh cup of coffee. The dog is speaking French and the significant other is threatening to walk out… again. Yet, the ever-persistent entrepreneur and/or business owner is awake, plotting, and creating a business to make his/her dream a reality. However, these late night sessions could be just a waste of time unless this visionary develops a sound design and plan to make his idea a reality. This is where Michael Schell, CEO and President of the Approved Group of Companies comes to rescue the bleary eyed business hopeful. Having twenty-plus years in business-to-business sales, Michael Schell and his team surveyed 228 buyers, conducted 330 interviews, and recorded the answers to 4,327 questions with the hopes of developing an easy-to-understand, basic platform to build one’s business. This book is different from others in that it is written from the perspective of the customer.

An emerging businessman can develop a service or product that solves all the problems plaguing a particular market, but if the proper foundation is not established, appropriate clients not targeted, and proper business professionalism not exhibited, the venture is destined to perish. The Customer Approved Small Business is based on numerous business secrets that revolve around the foundation of solid business practices, development of new business, and how to tie it all together.

The forward focuses on the fact that clients in today’s markets are less likely to show loyalty to one business. People go where the overall experience and service meets and exceeds expectations. Therefore, the importance of listening to the customer and curtailing the business model to embrace that premise is critical. Let us not forget that there is a sixty percent rate of failure for a business in its first five years. So, Schell stresses the idea of “measure twice, cut once” and “plan, plan, then execute”. Thus, I decided to refer to this book as a manual/handbook because it gives great instructions and helpful tools to begin to build a well-functioning business that evolves to the volatile market-place.

This manual plunges into building a business foundation. The foundation is built upon ensuring operational efficiency and effectiveness. Schell believes this is achieved by developing manuals (processes, job descriptions, missions). Well written handbooks help to avoid confusion as a business grows and, inevitably, becomes more complex. Thus, it helps to avoid the development of the “micro manager”. We have all had them and the strain they impose in the workplace environment is detrimental to overall goals. Mr. Schell gives tips on how to standardize each process and effectively eliminate the guess work. However, I do feel that a smaller business at the onset should not have as strict predefined roles. Most of the time, smaller businesses have employees that deal with numerous areas in the business and restricting them to specific roles may do more harm than good. While Mr. Schell believes (and rightly so) the ultimate goal of developing manuals is to withstand turn over and, thereby, maintaining stability in business practices.

As the book progresses, Schell examines the development of new business. Whether it is building the prospect database (industries, contacts, locations, etc), cultivating strategies to influence the decision makers, creating ISPS (industry specific positing statements), or telling us, the readers, what not to do during that initial sales call, he provides useful tips that every businessman/woman should know.

A serious pitfall for eager salespeople is to try to make a sale on the first call. I strongly agree. For a business to be “customer approved” according to this book, it is all about developing relationships and showing respect for a potential client’s time. Concentrate on providing a solution that meets the needs of the potential new purchaser. Sales will follow.

Understanding that the first 30 seconds of a call or meeting can make or break one’s success / clinching business, Schell provides tips on ways to The Customer Approved Small Business gives great examples of ways to write opening statements, primary reason statements, and key point statements because those initial thirty-seconds of a call or meeting make or break any hopes of success. As a business continues to grow and hire more employees, having this book as a resource gives the “newbies” a great way to draft their own statements instead of some cookie-cutter elongated paragraph. Getting a new-hire up to speed as quickly as possible increases the opportunity for profitability. I wish I was given this book when I started my job.

The most important sections in this book are the chapters honed in on planning and organizing meetings, developing an overall organization’s structure, and the “What the Buyers Say” sections. The “What the Buyers Say” is spread throughout the book. These tid-bits are notes and comments from business owners themselves regarding how they like to be approached and how they ultimately decide who earns their business. In addition, there are survey percentages given in regards to how many businesses put into practice certain ideas and the average rating of importance. For example, “I prefer to be asked for a moment of my time, but only about 20% of representatives do it” (Schell, pg 33). This was in reference to sales calls. These tid-bits scattered throughout the book are to re-enforce the theme of respecting client’s time and showing the ideal ways to conduct business.

As organization is one of the lifelines to a successful business, Schell gives concrete advice on how to create structure within the business, increase effectiveness of meetings, phone calls, mission statements, and ways to position oneself as an expert in the respective industry. In particular, the sections on developing an agenda before meetings to maximize time and guidelines for conducting follow up phone calls/meetings are excellent templates for anyone starting out or a seasoned veteran looking to fine tune.

Overall, The Customer Approved Small Business does a great job providing advice on laying a sound foundation through the use of manuals, processes, people, and plans. Then, Schell leads the business owner on how to take those plans and ideas and organize them, develop strong mission statements, and adapt to the ever changing business environment. Receiving tips from professionals who actually interact and make decisions based on what they have experienced gives this book an added bonus. The commentary and survey results help guide any start-up business in the right direction. At the end of the day, 60% of all entrepreneurs who set out to fulfill their dreams fail within in the first five years. This book will not save the business owner, but it does harness key knowledge that will ignite the spark that will hopefully burst into full-fledge flames.

~the GURU

Customer Service... Or Lack There of at Verizon

2008-07-05T11:16:00.006-04:00

Verizon should be glad their (cell) service is good

As my previous post stated, I finally took the plunge and purchased a BlackBerry Curve. Thus far, I love the phone; however, my experience at the store was not satisfactory at all.

The play-by-play of how sales should not go:

I walked into the store with the goal that I would not be leaving with out a new phone. I went over to the BlackBerry section and began to tinker with the phones to begin to familiarize myself with them and ensure I was selecting the proper thumb-clicking device. I believe I spent 10-15 minutes of standing there reviewing the phones before I was approached by a sales person. I mean, did I smell? Did my beard intimidate them? Am I too good-looking?

Finally, some man with a clip-board and a supposed suit walked up to me and asked if I needed any help. My response, "I was wondering when someone was going to approach me." Now, of course, I could have be pro-active in seeking advice, but, the fact of the matter is, since I was never even asked initially if I needed help, I wanted to test the waters. I've been in sales for a year now and I'm starting to toy with other sales people to see how good their skills are and see if they really want my business.

Moving along, once I was approached by the clip-board bearing, blue-tooth wielding, sales-person, as I asked my questions, he actually made me feel like an idiot. While I cannot precisely pin-point the exact causes, there were instances in his tone and inflections that really angered me. If I had not been adamant on purchasing a phone I would have left.

Nevertheless, I selected the Curve and then was taken to the counter. This "sales consultant" was even worse. Talk about being so bored and not wanting to show the customer he wanted the business as well. We began the phone upgrade process as I supplied all of my pertinent information. At this point, I thought (sarcastically), I really must be taking up this valuable person's time by me wanting to spending a couple hundred dollars with this company. Not only that, but the ever-annoying "Can You Hear Me Now" Guy was plastered right in front of me and I wanted to break his glasses.

I understand my phone upgrade was pretty much a transactional sale, but how did they know that? Should that matter? At least show the customer you value their business.

As I continue to evolve my sales skills and analyze others, I really paid attention during this "experience." Like I said before, if I had not been so focused to buy my new phone that day (or wanted to waste another trip and gasoline), I would have walked out.

My experience at Verizon was awful. The "sales consultants" made me feel stupid at times, all the employees showed poor customer service, and they made it seem that me wanting to spend money with them was deplorable. Verizon is lucky its cell-coverage is very good where I reside, or I'd be gone.

~the GURU

I've Sold My Soul

2008-07-02T19:48:00.005-04:00

Will I Resist Morphing into a "CrackBerry" Guy?

Ladies and gentlemen, I have gone beyond the point of return, I purchased a BlackBerry Curve over the weekend.

I must say, she is a beauty. I will be doing a product review on my website, http://www.thesmallbizguru.com/reviews after a couple weeks.

However, I have sworn to myself, I will never be the person who "thumbs" through the device while I am having a conversation with someone else...

My experience at the wireless store is another story...

~the GURU

I Have Toner All Over My Pants!

2008-06-27T15:43:00.006-04:00

Will this Ink Rub Off During A Presentation?

Managing cost is a vital skill in the business world. Office supplies are a huge culprit in sucking the life out of budgets and in particular, ink cartridges.

I stumbled upon this article and thought you all would find this of interest; comparing brand-name ink to third-party ink.

Cheap Ink: Will It Cost You?

If you're a busy individual, I have quoted the conclusion:

The Bottom Line on Printer Inks
Depending on your printer, you may be able to find cheaper, third-party inks that perform as well as or better than the brand-name stuff. In our study we found that third-party ink cartridges usually cost less and often yielded more prints than their manufacturer-made rivals. On the other hand, in most cases, we confirmed the printer manufacturers' claims that their own inks produce better-looking images.

Deciding between brand-name and third-party alternatives depends in part on how you plan to use your prints. If you want high-quality color photos that future generations will be able to enjoy, then OEM inks are usually a better choice.

Many of us, however, don't need the best ink supplies that money can buy. If your prints tend to be for one-time-only office presentations, text documents for school, or temporary color images (such as plain-paper photos), inks from third-party supplies may be a reasonable cost-saving option. And over the lifetime of your printer, cost savings from buying third-party inks can be considerable.

~the GURU

No IT Clowns Here Part II - Stephen King's "IT"

2008-06-16T19:44:00.009-04:00

Companies to need Savvy up their IT

I wrote an article back in December 07, titled "This Isn't Stephen King's "IT"" and as I was reading the Wall Street and Technology web site today, I stumbled across this article about IT. Once again, it addresses the fact that people are so opposed to something they do not understand and refuse to embrace technology. To make matters worse, this author provides no real backing of his assumptions in regards to IT, which, in the end, makes him one of the main reasons IT gets such a bad rap.

Right off the bat, the tone is set incorrectly in this article about how IT should be viewed.

"In good times, the challenge is how to spend the money wisely; and in bad times, the challenge also is how to spend the money wisely."

IT cannot be viewed as simply managing costs associated with developing a business' infrastructure. I'll be one of the first to tell you that IT projects can and are expensive, but if the big picture vision is there and well thought out, success awaits you. Businesses that irresponsibly throw money around will suffer the fate of having a shoddy IT department,

but companies that utilize IT to attack and resolve business inefficiencies have more than just "15 minutes of IT fame."

A sand trap many businesses fall into are getting caught up with "buzz words" and not really seeing how the applications can benefit their business. They buy the product, not the solution. We can thank the salespeople that strive for the quick sale and not the long-term success.

The Author mentions that IT Departments "fail to build a sustainable practical environment" (Habbal, Mayiz 6/11/08). I challenge that remark and to ask how often a business agrees to an IT Project and then quickly disregards it before the solution is implemented!! As the list of insults are thrown at IT, words such as "appalling", "staggering", and my favorite, "exceptionally frightening" are mixed together, it is no wonder people think IT is from Stephen King's novel.

Mayiz Habbal has strong words towards IT, yet no evidence backing up his claims. I understand IT undertakings have failed, but also a lot of flourished. Apple fans love IT. iPhone software is the result of IT investments.

IT helps companies attack inefficiencies. Businesses that have multiple departments and have issues of the "silo effect", by bringing in an ERP solution and allow all those businesses to communicate seamlessly does wonders for breaking down barriers. Walmart owes all of it's inventory success to Information Technology. Its inventory systems allow both the supplier and Walmart to "talk" between intranets with ease.

Imagine if Walmart had to call each one of its suppliers for every store?! YIKES!

Overall, I am not saying IT is perfect. It is not and that is because businesses can be very loose when it comes to investing properly. Then, when a project fails, they blame the IT department when, in the first place, the other departments in the business did not fully harness the solution being presented.

There is no cookie-cutter answer for a business when it comes to IT. Every solution is customized to the business. Forcing a product on a business never leads to success. The product has to provide that solution that answers the issue posing a problem to the business. Once the corporate world realizes this, IT will be basking in the high life.....

~the GURU

A little video of Stephen King's "IT". Your IT guy is not the Clown.

Do You Like Being "Always Home"?

2008-06-11T19:11:00.005-04:00

Home Landlines Becoming Obsolete? At What Cost?

In a May article in BusinessWeek, studies are showing that home landlines are slowly being replaced by wireless devices (cell phones). Consumers either keep landlines for internet connections or simply have them because they always have. Recent trends to absolve the use of landlines are due to cost and the demand for being able to be contacted "anytime"and "anyplace".

However, while wireless technology is the wave of the future, there is a point I want to raise and it should be duly noted, but before I divulge my point and issue, let's go over the pros and cons of the growing way to communicate.

The pros of ridding our lives of landlines are the following:

1) One less number to worry about. If we did not have our personal contact lists with numbers programmed in, our lives would be chaotic. I remember when I used to have so many numbers memorized it wasn't even funny. Now, I can simply look them up in two seconds and begin my call. Also, instead of "guessing" where the to-be-called-party is (are they home? are they out?), we can call one number and be done with it all.

2) "Always Home." By having one number that travels with individuals everywhere, it is like one is always home and will never miss a beat. If someone walked out the door and the phone rang three minutes later with a new meeting spot, a cell phone allows the travelling to be contacted about the location change.

3) It's less expensive. Why pay for both a home number and cell number? Just consolidate.

4) No Solicitors!!!!! Dinner will be peaceful and there will not be 32 issues of Vogue on the door step in a couple weeks.

Now that you're ancy to cancel your land line service, wait just a moment for the cons:

1) Emergency Service Providers have a more difficult time tracking people down. Now, in time this will get better (GPS etc etc), but when calling from a land line phone, location is almost exact. While with cell phones, tower distance/signal strength play a key role.

2) Comfort. Having extended phone calls on a smaller device can cause discomfort and while subject oneself to that if they do not have to? Plus, why drain your batter even more?

3) Memory. I would be curious to see if people had better memorizing skills before the creation of cell phone contact lists. Personally, I do not know as many numbers as I used to. Thus, if I were in a situation where I did not have some one's phone number, I'd be rather bothered.

4) Signal Towers. I am no expert and if any of you readers know, what happens if lightening hits the tower? Lose signal and no other tower can pick up the extra signals or is too far? What type of issue could that cause? If a parent is trying to call his child who is out too late and cannot call?

5) What if solicitors eventually lobby for the ability to call you on your cell phone? Now wouldn't that stink?! I would much rather have those calls go to my land line phone than my cell.

-and now, the main point I want to address in this article-

CALL QUALITY

Sure, we all laugh at the Verizon slogan of "Can You Here Me Now?" But, have you actually thought about that phrase? We say it more than we think. How annoying is this? I want to be able to have a conversation and not have to repeat myself or angle my head just right to receive optimal signal. Plus, voice quality isn't always as crisp as a land line phone. For those of you that are followers of my blog, you know that I praise the motto of "you get what you pay for."

We all know our landlines very rarely go down. They are RELIABLE. Even when the power is out, they work. Most people have their more private conversations in the comfort of their own homes. Imagine when you're speaking to your great grandmother who lives in Europe and it is hard enough to understand her due to her "wise and mature" voice, throw in some cell static and your call is not going to be a good experience. Or, in the midst of a very important conversation, you have been speaking for a few minutes only to realize that the call was dropped two minutes ago?

At this point in time, we, as consumers, need to start to go after quality again, not just cheap. It will come back and bite us. Why settle? I hate having to repeat myself when having a conversation or have to re-call after a call is dropped. In time, the service will be better, but not yet. Notice how I did not touch upon the business side of things, imagine being on a call with a vital client and the call is dropped.... how are you viewed in their eyes?
Don't sacrifice quality..... because who honestly wants to be "always home?"

~the GURU

Le Link to the Article

Sell It On eBay! Airline Fee Satire

2008-06-03T07:39:00.008-04:00

Time For Some Guru Satire

First, I take my blog very seriously as I try to educate my audience, share some opinions, and give advice, but we have to have some fun every now and then, so here we go:

Below are a couple links about all the new airline fees that are popping up and causing chaos, if you have not heard about them, you are living under a rock.

You're Charging Me for What?!

Funny Comic

Packing Light Pays

So, obviously, we have the baggage fees and now some are possibly speculating about the weight of you and your bags being charged as well. Quite simply, airlines need to become more versatile and diversify their portfolios..... my solution; their own eBay Auction sites.

Picture it now, you just enjoyed your flight. You paid $15 for your checked bag, your pants still don't fit quite right after they made you take them off for "security purposes". You had a baby two rows up screaming the entire time, your lap top battery died half-way through the flight, you were frozen the entire flight because you dared not wrap yourself in the disease infested blankets, the stewardess gave you only 1/4 can of Ginger Ale and no pretzels, and if you're really really really lucky, the flight allowed cell phones... Could this trip be any worse?

Yes it could. It turns out after you filed slowly out of the plane (which they shut the air off as you awaited the gate to be opened to save on electricity), you left behind your suit jacket which housed your fountain pen, wallet, sunglasses, but you did not realize this until you passed the security check point.

Now, we would expect the airlines to notify you once they searched the jacket and found your I.D., but not anymore ladies and gentlemen, I introduce the Airlines eBay Store!!

Airlines have a cash cow in their grasps. Tons of people leave belongings behind, so instead of returning them, put them up for auction!

I can see it now, your suit jacket, pen, wallet, and sunglasses all end up on the Auction site, along with the thousands of other items left behind on planes.

If you really think about it, airlines could become a electronics/small articles
of clothing store

To top things off, you can use your Frequent Flyer Miles on the auctions too! Talk about an added bonus for flying with your carrier of choice.

This could help alleviate all the gas issues and drive the airlines into an entirely new industry.

So, the next time you forget a personal belonging, do not even attempt to contact the airline carrier, save yourself the trouble and go to eBay and buy your stuff back...

The be-all will be when on your next flight the gentleman to your right happens to have a pen that looks identical to your "lost" pen and those sunglasses have the same scratch on the frame as yours did......

Oh, what the future could hold.

~the GURU

Selling Off People's Lives

2008-05-26T16:46:00.000-04:00

Do You Trust Your Employees?

Whether a business has three or 200,000 employees, data protection and security are of the utmost importance. Now, some may say, well, a three person business does not have much to protect, they are so small. A small company can have lots of information that could be just as confidential as a big business if accessed by hackers. So, if you are a smaller-based business do not think you are immune. You are not my friend. At least you have the luxury of being able to know all of your employees on a much more intimate level then a big business.

Technology vs. Human Will

A business can have all the latest and greatest technologies for security at their finger tips, but that does account for human "error" or in this case, human theft. It can be and is challenging for businesses to have to juggle the two because one cannot be around without the other. In the case of Lending Tree, employees took advantage of the access to information. We have to ask ourselves how this information was so easily abused. I mean, honestly, people's lives are at risk of identity theft and who knows what else and it seems this went on for a couple years. What were the motivating factors? Money? Revenge? As this story continues to unravel, I want to know.

As a business owner, one must have the at the bare minimum security protocols and be pro-active about it or there will be consequences. In terms of monitoring employees, if the release of people's information can reek havoc, you need to set-up security barriers that, for example, monitor emails being sent out (Symantec has a service). Then, have the settings pick up key words that could involve potential threats. Yes, it may be tedious to have to look through all the files, but if it saves the business from bad press and LOTS of law suits, it is well worth the business' time.

The original article was from the Charlotte Observer, but the link has since been taken down, so I found another one dated around the same time. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/042208-lendingtree-breach.html

UPDATE: http://www.charlotte.com/business/story/636437.html

So it seems there has been a class-action suit filed. One person has already come forward about the effects of this violation.

Garcia bought a copy of his credit report almost immediately after that and found that his information had been reviewed by nearly a dozen lenders without his permission, severely affecting his credit score, the complaint said.

Yikes! That is not good and is now a serious consequence of the renegade employees. The article mentions that the affected parties do not believe Lending Tree took adequate action to protect their information, which they may not have. I wish more details were given, but I'm going off of what I have access to.

The Ultimate Battle

How, as business owners, are we able to find the line between technological security measures and human security? It is extremely frustrating and scary. Businesses need to invest in security, it is a necessity. We cannot skimp on it because we have to ward off hackers. However, when our own employees poise a threat, it is the worst possible situation. Thus, it makes first off, the hiring process that much more important. It also puts further emphasis of keeping upper management in the trenches with the employees. The more they are involved, the less likely certain events/actions can slip by and heaven forbid they become wrapped up in it as well.

In addition, make it difficult for employees to be able to transfer sensitive information. If an employee has to log into a database to retrieve information, are they able to cut and paste? Can employees bring their lap-tops home? It's one thing to bring work home to get caught up, but if it involves dealing with very sensitive data, do not risk it, do not allow it!

Overall, this issue will always be around, but like I touched upon earlier, what were the motives? Did someone anger the employee? Were they short changed on something? Were they just a bad hire? In efforts to fight this sort of security threat, we need to analyze why it occurred. Only then can we figure out how to curb the threat. As a business owner, protecting your information is one of the most critical skills sets available.

~the GURU

Telecom. 101 -- Video Style

2008-05-22T16:30:00.005-04:00

My Second Video Installment

Each category will have it's own video or web entry dedicated to it. Like I said in the video, this is a very high overview.

My YouTube Universe

~the GURU

What is DSL?

2008-05-15T18:46:00.006-04:00

Time to Focus on some Telecommunications

Sure, we have all heard the term "DSL" thrown around and know that in some shape or form connects a user to the internet, but what does is stand for? What does it do? How does it work? In this entry, we are going over the very basics of DSL and how it provides businesses (and homes too) with internet connectivity.

Drum Roll please.... DSL stands for "Digital Subscriber Line"

Why Do You Need It?

Well, if you did not have it (or cable for that matter) you could not read this post or navigate anywhere on the internet. Thus, DSL is used to foster:

Connectivity for business networks
Transferring of files
Data gathering / Researching information
Connecting with the millions upon millions of other users all logged into the net

How it Works:
DSL is provisioned over the same copper pair (twisted pair) wire your voice line uses and provides continuous connectivity. Copper wire uses analog signaling (ie voice conversations) and initially when the idea was thought up to run data over the lines, a modem was born.

A modem transmits the analog signal from the line into a digital transmission, carries it over the network, and translates it back into an analog signal. As a result, this only allowed bandwidth of up to 56kbps (kilo-bits per second). Now, as we are all well aware, 56kbps in this world is slower than watching a rock move. Cell phones have faster connectivity now. Thus, emerged DSL technology.

With Digital Subscriber Lines, there is no need to convert analog transmissions into digital signals and then back to analog. The information starts off as digital, which boasts a tremendous increase in bandwidth capabilities. In the Southeast, for example, DSL is available up to 6.0Mbps (mega bits per second). That is a HUGE boost!

Also, in the age of 56k modems, either you were on the internet or on the phone. They could not occur simultaneously. With DSL, both voice and internet connectivity occur on the same line, thus reducing costs.

Types of DSL
There is one main type of DSL. I am going to leave the others alone because the majority of users do not use them.

Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Lines (ADSL) is geared towards homes and small businesses because of the bandwidth breakdowns. Since most users download information from the internet more than upload (i.e. every time you go to a website, you download rich graphics, text, etc etc or download music/movies) you require bandwidth. As a result, engineers were able to design DSL to give you more download speed. This is because typical users upload a lot less (i.e. send emails, upload files etc).

However, if your business demands a lot of upload bandwidth, you would need a symmetrical DSL (SDSL), but if that is the case, an internet T-1 circuit would be the best option and we will discuss T-1s at a later date.

Things to Consider

DSL is distance sensitive, so the further away the business is away from the Telecom. Provider's Central Office , the slower the connection. Thus, the users closest to the COs benefit from the fastest speeds.
DSL has its own line. A business does not share it with anyone except those on the network. Whereas with cable, everyone in a "neighborhood" shares one big pipe. So, come 3:00pm when the kids come home, the cable network will slow down.

Why DSL may not be for You

Like I mentioned above, distance plays a factor. As a result, if a business requires a lot of bandwidth and is not ready for the investment in a T-1, they will be out of luck.
It's not available everywhere. Some central offices are not capable or, once again, distance plays a factor
Faster receiving than sending of information
Copper Line Quality. If the copper wires are really old, quality may suffer.

Why DSL is for You

Always On. DSL is always on and always ready to surf. A business never has to log-on or off.
Voice calls come in on the same line, so you do not have to buy a line just for internet connectivity.
Most of the time, there is no need for additional wiring
Service Providers usually supply the modem/router.

Overall, the creation of DSL allowed a lot of business to have internet connectivity and not have to buy all new equipment or wiring. All that really has to occur is the purchase of a router and informing your service provider you need connectivity. While there are some downsides to DSL and of course the great debate of cable vs. DSL (another time, I don't have the strength), DSL is a sound investment that provides businesses with basic reliable internet connectivity.

Side Notes:
I want to leave you with some general terms.
DSLAM: Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplier - This device inter-connects all the individual DSL lines in an area and transports them into one big pipe to the high speed backbone which provides gigs upon gigs of bandwidth which keeps the network flowing. Whereas cable providers give "sectors" one big pipe and everyone shares it.
Filters: Filters block signals above certain frequencies so the voice and data transmissions are not interfered with and cause problems. So, if you hear static on the lines, sometimes it is because the filter needs to be replaced.

~the GURU

Where is the GURU?

2008-05-04T14:02:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone,

I'm in the midst of moving/looking for a new place to live so it has been a little hectic.

Posting will resume soon I hope.

~the GURU

Smart Business Guru Emerge

2008-04-28T11:22:00.002-04:00

Evolving name for an Evolving World

**11:28am 4/28** Full details later.

As you all know, my main URL is The Small Biz Guru [http://www.thesmallbizguru.com]. Yet, I have not connected the blog to the page yet. I have expanded my reach and name to Smart Business Guru (http://www.smartbusinessguru.com).

My reason being, I embrace that some owners do not like to be called "small business." I do not find it as an insult, but image does matter to owners and I want our interactions to allow them to be at ease. Thus, I have adapted the name "Smart Business Guru".

~the GURU

"Phantom Telephone Traffic?"

2008-04-23T07:48:00.004-04:00

The Phantom of the Opera has gone Telecom.

From BusinessWeek

Ahead of the Bell: Phantom Telephone Traffic

04/22/2008 3:12 PM ETA Senate committee on Wednesday will review concerns among some telephone companies over not being able to bill for traffic over their networks because the calls can't be identified.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Monday will examine the scope and size of such "phantom traffic."

Telephone companies recover part of their operating costs by charging other carriers a fee for delivering traffic over their networks. But if companies can't identify a call or where it originated from, they can't bill for it. By law, carriers are required to put all calls through in case of an emergency.

It's unclear how widespread phantom traffic is or how much it's costing telephone companies, especially rural ones. Some say the problem will only get worse as more people use software to make calls through their computers.

Among the witnesses scheduled for the hearing include Charles McKee, director of government affairs for Sprint Nextel Corp., and Larry Sarjeant, a vice president at Qwest Communications International Inc.

The hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EDT.

Wow. I need to find this phone plan.

But it does pose a good question. As communication continues to drive through software based applications (and is only going to increase), how are the telecom. companies going to track and bill?

It will be interesting to see how this proceeds forward.

~the GURU

Speaking of the 5 o'clock Shadow: Case Study

2008-04-13T18:11:00.015-04:00

I find it ironic that a week after I write an entry about companies who believe they have a product that can save the world, yet no one buys it, I come across an article touching upon the issue.

As I was readying Inc. there was a case study on a similar situation. Is the Small Biz. Guru beginning to foresee the future? Anyways, here is the what transpired:

Bill Randle was a bank executive with an entrepreneur waiting to emerge. His software promised, "big savings, while also allowing banks to offer better service. They could give customers one easy place online in which to view all sorts of accounts, from checking to savings to mortgage and auto-loan balances. The product would also give banks a real-time unified view of balances, inflows, and outflows, which could help them make more informed lending and financing decisions throughout a day." (Salkever, Alex Inc. Magazine, pg 70)

The background information was that of a situation where banks were unable to adequately judge cash levels until the close of business. On top of that, it required tremendous labor time.

Mr. Randle left his executive job at the bank, purchased full control of the software, raised millions of dollars, and hired a CEO.

Yet, as the article mentions, the timing could not have been any worse. "Banks feared losing business online to upstarts... and were looking for ways to offer similar online services" As a result, R&D money was limited thanks to the Y2K scare! (Ahhhh, to think, two digits instead of four could have caused world chaos!) Add in the dot-com/Internet bubble choking and welcome economic "gloom."

So, needless to say, Bill laid off most of his work force, at one point he had 120 employees, he emptied all the way down to 10. It was at that point, he realized, maybe it was time to change market segments. Not too mention the over reliance on two main clients. What were to happen if one of these clients were to leave? Eek! Now, imagine 10 people trying to manage current accounts and bring in new business?!

As a result, Synoran (company name) decided to join in on the mess that is health care. Now, I will be the first to say my knowledge in health care is limited. All I know is that it is extremely expensive, no clear vision, and there is probably someone making a lot of money because of this chaos. The article's brief description of health care, "deal with a mass of incompatible computer networks among insurance companies, testing labs, third party plan administrators.." all that interact in a very secure environment.

But, there are 100s of IT companies in the mix as well.

So, the present situation today is:

Randle left with a skeleton crew, limited funds, no r&d resources, nor marketing.

Now let's do a little analyzing here:

Synoran thought they had struck gold. They had a product/service that could reduce costs, streamline processes, and take the load off of employee workload. But, timing is everything and they were off. Not only was timing off, it seems they expected for the product to sell itself. And we all know, you have to put in the sweat and tears to reach success... oh yea, and have a sales force.

A business needs employees knocking on company doors, making calls, building PR, and raising awareness in the communities. Unless a business is very well connected, building a foundation takes a lot of time. I have spent almost 10 months building my foundation and I feel that I am still a ways off and I'm glad. I am doing the grunt work, fortifying my long term success because that is what it all comes down to... long term success and have an invincible foundation. I do not give it to the short-term mumbo-jumbo.

Synoran is down to a skeleton crew, barely a sales force, no resources, and moving into an industry where the competition is so fierce and the time-line is so long a battle of attrition is the main factor. I love under dog stories and stories of businesses that went against all odds, but this may be much bigger than simply David vs. Goliath.

Good luck Synoran, good luck.

~the GURU

5 o'clock Shadow Part II

2008-04-05T11:40:00.011-04:00

Going from Rugged to Clean-Cut

To refresh your memory

From the preceding post, I raised the point of pin-pointing areas where there may be a hole (inefficiency) either slowly or rapidly leaking water (resources) from the bucket (business).

As the talks and reports of the United States economy/recession continues, what were your findings? Aside from the fact that the "U.S. economy lost 80,000 jobs in March, the biggest drop in five years, as weakness in the labor market spread beyond housing and finance to engulf a broad swath of businesses. (EVANS, WSJ.com)" times like these can blow open parts of your business that are bleeding the business dry.

Now we can speculate as to who precisely is being laid off in certain industries, for example, the financial industry is being wiped clean compared to 2007's growth according to Tig Gilliam, chief executive of temporary-employment company Adecco Group North America. (I won't touch the fact that we're laying off thousands of analysts and yet paying and awarding the CEOs with millions of dollars for doing so well... isn't this an oxymoron?)

But, back to the 5 o'clock shadow. Where are bottlenecks occurring in your business?

Let's say your software/ intellectual property is your bread and butter. It can save companies thousands, if not millions of dollars, and it has been available for a couple years now, yet, sales are lacking. These software "Gurus" (SGs) know everything about developing the product and making it work. However, the SGs are not strong in sales. They are awkward around consumers and do not exude confidence. Thus, the expense of having these developers is hurting your business, despire their skills Ladies and gentlemen, the leak in your bucket is weak sales force.

In this day and age, you could have a product that does everything and reduces cost or boosts profitability, but if customers do not know about it, they will not find it nor know what it does. You have to have a sales force / marketing team. That means investing in salesmen to make the cold-calls, developing advertisements, and targeting a market segment to hone-in on. Your programmers are, well, programmers. They build it and fine-tune, they do not sell it. A prime example is this AT&T commercial about a beer brewery. There is the brew-master and then the salesman.

The next example of a potential leak is so simple, it is almost embarrassing that people do not realize the potential savings.... inter-office call transfer or auto-mated attendants. Do you have a receptionist or a couple receptionists who answer the phones all day, update company records, manage appointment books, organize business newsletters, or relay information around to all the divisions. As your business continues to grow, usually, your call volume increases as well. The poor receptionists are already stretched so thin, add in the increased call volume and we may have some cases of insanity approaching.

As the call volume increases, the receptionists jot down the message from the clients and then have to walk / re-dial the proper party and inform them of the message. That takes time. Time away from the million other tasks they have and time is money.

Enter the PHONE SYSTEM! Imagine being able to transfer the calling-party directly to the individual or their voicemail? The receptionist hits two buttons and she's done and back to work, focusing on the other tasks. It is all about efficiency and time-savers. Another way to fill-in the leaky hole. Or, if you choose to have an automated attendant, she only answers the phone when she is requested.

So, I briefly illuminated two potential hindrances. Nothing too in-depth, but something to think about.

Let me know some issues your business faces and see where we can attack them!

At the end of the day, you can either settle for the shadow or you can shave again.

~the GURU
(changed my signature... tell the difference?!)

Be Prepared for Murder in the Skies

2008-03-29T17:38:00.005-04:00

You have got to be kidding me!

My eyes glaze over as I read this article and yearn to smack the jubilant gentleman in the photo. Airlines are one of our last cell-phone-free safe havens and the evil forces have begun to penetrate our holy space.

Of course, we all want to be 24/7 connected to everyone, but there comes a time when is becomes ridiculous. Think about it, it is already chaotic enough to have the crying baby two rows up, behind you you have the kid kicking your seat, and directly to your right the gentleman leaning into your personal space, now slap into the equation a person with a cell phone?! Houston, we have a serious problem.

Let us indulge in the pros of this first:

1) For the business travelers, they will be able to continue to be tied into their jobs. If there is a sudden change in proposals, quotes, news, they will not have a 2-5 hour empty window, so, ideally, productivity is increased.

2) I'm sure cell phone companies will find some way to make even more money off this, I'm not sure how yet (other than usage), but they will.

3).... Um, I do not think there is any, even #2 is a stretch. Please let me know if there are any others?

Let us eyeball the negatives:

1) As we become more and more connected, there has been talks of the law of diminishing returns. We are quickly approaching, if not all ready, the point where we are so connected we are not as efficient as we once were. With all the distractions that bombard us through the work-day, we lose track of what we're trying to do. For example, if you're on the flight and working on a proposal or even sleeping and your phone rings, who knows how long the conversation could go for and afterwards you will probably be side-tracked.

2) It is already bad enough when babies are crying, your neighbor to your left is drooling on you, and now, your neighbor on the right is going to be talking to who-knows-who about who-knows-what. Let's be honest, some of the topics people discuss in public now is stuff I do not want to hear about. What if your neighbor is a loud talker? Eek!

3) You may get assaulted. No more needs to be said.

Overall, on the business side of things, there are some potential benefits. Who knows what kind of events could transpire within those couple hours in the air cut off from the office. Having access to a phone could have huge perks, but when we begin to approach the line of overall respect for everyone and keeping a peace of mind, we have issues. Always being connected is not always a good thing, especially when it is not businessmen next to you, but the 16 year-old girl with boy problems...

~The GURU

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7308041.stm

An Essay for a House?

2008-03-23T13:49:00.016-04:00

Forget trying to earn the "A", earn the house!

As it seems every article we read, every news anchor's lead story, and every real estate agent's whine, the housing market is awful. People are not buying homes because they cannot sell the one's they currently reside in, it's expensive, or, they do not want to move into a cookie-cutter dwelling.

Thus, if you're supposed to be moving because of your job, need to escape your current locale, or your kid is so devastated by a school incident (getting pant'ds), you cannot, you are stuck. What are you to do? Your boss needs you on the other side of the country, the air in your area is causing you to choke, and your kid is no longer acknowledging you in public.

Have you considered what J.J. Rodgers has done? Her mindset after three tedious years of trying to sell a home in Colorado is of a "mix-it-up" approach.

"We don't have anything to lose," Rodgers, 45, said. "If we're unsuccessful, at
least we did something different from what we've already tried."

Rodgers strikes a very good point. Now, first off, if things were bad for a couple months, I would not totally agree with this mindset, but after three years of no-such-luck, this is great. "If we're unsuccessful, at least we did something different.." While Rodgers is not in the real estate business, her next move was something successful business owners embrace, making lemonade out of lemons.

I mean, with statistics like these:

The glut has battered sales volume and prices. Sales of existing homes dropped
to the slowest pace on record in January, with the median price sliding to
$201,100. New home sales in January also fell to the slowest rate in nearly 13
years and the median price tumbled to the lowest level in more than three years.

What is someone to do who wants to be successful? Dwell in pity and blame everyone else? Heck no, they do something so crazy that it just might work. I mean, instead of tearing away from a loaf of bread, someone decided to slice it up!

As I would simply love to dive into my opinions of the housing industry. *Quick Glimpse* Basically, building ugly, cheap, waste of resource, cookie-cutter homes is ruining the industry and desensitizing our tastes in homes. I am originally from New England and growing up with colonial inspired homes is amazing. Meanwhile, my current neck of the woods has cheap homes popping up everywhere.

Anyways, sorry for my tangent, back to the main point of my entry; breaking free of the norm when things are not working and taking a different/abstract approach to doing business. Heck, if I were not so busy working right now, I would write an essay myself and win my first summer-home for cycling/fishing/camping.

All in all, it is ideas like these that should inspire business owners in times of trouble or despair to try something new/bring attention to themselves. It may just be crazy enough to work...

~The GURU

(Happy Easter)

Thanks for Spewing the Flu...

2008-03-12T19:35:00.005-04:00

Don't be "That" Co-worker: Office Respect

I was recently housed up due to the fact I was malled by the flu. This occurred after my entire office was attacked by the winter bug. Now, when most of them got sick, what do you think they did? If you think they stayed home and rested, you are WRONG! They came into work coughing, hacking, and spewing whatever they had. Making those around them very susceptible to getting sick as well. And, this leads me to my topic today: co-worker respect and your health.

One may think he is being a trooper coming into work and trying to accomplish his job, but in reality, big picture wise, he is doing more harm than good. If you are in a team atmosphere, do you feel eager to work with your sick cohort as they cough and spread "the sickness"?

So here are some other side-effects of coming in despite being at Death's Door:

1) Prolonging Sickness
By over-exerting oneself while being sick, it takes much longer for one's body to build up the anti-bodies to fight the virus and recovery quicker. So, ignoring the fact you are not in the office, the more important thing, one's health is at risk. Think about it... by not being healthy and well, doing one's job is a lot harder and being able to come to work down the road might be at risk. In addition, mental stamina plummets too. We've all been physically and mentally tired and it is not fun... Add in being sick and we have problems.

2) Angering Everyone Else in the Office
Trust me, when people are sick and come into the office, I am basically down right insulted. I hate to be blunt, but I am and lots of other people share this same sentiment. Basically, a sick person coming to work non-verbally says, "I don't care about anyone else's health. This is about me and I need to come in."

However, I will say, upper management can have employees so scared about missing work that they feel they must come in to keep their jobs. If that is the case, it is hard to do, but by standing one's ground because of health is critical. I don't know about your health care, but my health care costs bank on me being healthy or I am paying quite the pretty penny on being treated. Don't risk becoming worse because of the boss. I know it's hard to do, but remain strong. You owe it, first of all, to yourself, and second of all, to your co-workers.

3) Quality of Work Suffers
Stuffed sinuses, tight chest, aching joints, disheveled looks, and glazed over eyes... these people expect to be productive? Not being 100% affects: productivity, quality of work, the joy of work, and mental stamina tires ten-fold. The chance of errors increases. The ability to think clearly is affected, which could lead to not-making the proper decisions. Why risk messing up a project because you were too busy chugging Day-Quil?

Who wants a Day-Quil stain on that proposal??!

4) Spreading the Epidemic
Finally, coming into work is a catalyst to spreading the germs to more people and affecting the entire office, which then affects everyone's productivity and grounds to do business. Do you want to be blamed for that? I didn't think so.

So, the next time you come down with something, do your co-workers a favor, stay home, but more importantly, you get better quicker. Sure, you may feel like a trooper if you come in, but in the long run, you are affecting the overall office's workings and opening yourself up to a long-term illness.

~The GURU

Recession Looms and People Spend on Movie Tickets?!

2008-03-10T20:24:00.006-04:00

I'm back baby! The Flu kicked me around for a little bit, but I'm almost revived!

Ah, the joys of the movies... A box of popcorn, over-priced candy, if I'm a lucky a lovely female at my side, and hopefully a good flick to immerse my mind into. Now, if I am ever strapped for cash, movies are always the first to go in my budget. Over the past five years, I feel like I can count on two hands the movies I have seen in the theaters (All the Bourne Series have been seen the-day-of..Matt Damon.. the man).

But, let's be frank, the quality of movies has just plummeted miserably. Gigli? Are We Done Yet? Any Halle Berry Movie, etc etc... And people pay to see this stuff? Hollywood's kool aid is only getting stronger and it scares me that these people are making millions of dollars. But, for that, I also have to applaud them... they have found the formula to draw the consumers into their theaters.

Now, bringing myself back into focus on the article and the business relevance. Movies do give a sense of mental relaxation. You can simply sit there, eat some candy, and listen to the annoying teenager whose cell phone goes off every 10 seconds, despite the plethora of signs instructing someone to turn off the phone.

Back in the days of the Depression, movies dominated life. It did in fact give an out for people. Plus, like the article touches upon, there were so few options back then that "4.6 billion" tickets were sold at that time... still clobbering numbers today.

Yet, despite all the years of change, the movie industry has always survived and adapted. (um, hello? Ordering your tickets online! Reclining chairs, oversized cup holders)

"We don't want to wish recession on anyone or hard times on anyone, but we certainly have done very well during recessions," said John Fithian, president of the theater owners group, who planned to touch on Hollywood's recession-proof history in a speech at ShoWest's opening Source

What Mr. Fithian says is good and all, but he runs a business. It would be pretty funny if he just came out and said what he is really thinking. (I'll leave that to your imagination). One of my clients is in Hurricane disaster recovery. It may sound evil, but he needs Hurricanes and damaging storms so he can remain in business. Society may think they are mean and selfish people, but someone has got to do it and survive as they do it.

But, you cannot simply say revenue was high because of higher ticket prices. Attendance is increasing as well. My reasoning: Population increase. Not because Hollywood is produce great art.

In closing, this post is disjointed and I'm not really sure where I wanted to go (see, I can admit where areas can be weak at time), but that is how Hollywood makes me feel. My frustration is more aimed at Hollywood. High prices on the "experience" and then I have cell phone bandits ruining it. Movies may be a way to get away from the "troubles" of the world and give someone an outlet. All I know, this Guru's wallet stays closed for movies unless they actually have some merit. Sorry J. Lo, Ice Cube, and now Will Ferrell (he's overstaying his same comedic welcome), your movies are awful and I will not pay to watch them, no matter how bad the economy may be.

~A Flustered Guru

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23564934/

The Flu Claims Another

2008-03-02T09:59:00.002-05:00

The Guru has been hit with the flu....

Posting will resume at a later date.

And, no, that is not actually me. But that is how I feel.

What's Your Company's "5 O'Clock Shadow"?

2008-02-22T16:49:00.006-05:00

Not even a Gillette Fusion can prevent it....

This is a two part entry. First, I need you all to take a couple days and think about your business. Hopefully, you know what you do well and what your SCA (sustainable competitive advantage) is and you are taking full advantage of it. As a result, your reaping the benefits of doing something better than your competitors, but how long do you think your SCA will last? Think about it?

Is it with your people?

Your software?

Your location?

First Mover Advantage?

Market Niche? Etc etc.

However, the businesses that truly know what they excel at spend more time focusing on what they need to work on / could do better or, as some say, fix "the hole in the bucket." Where are you efforts not holding water or not doing as well as you hope?

Business practices seem to be great early, but as the days/months go on, the shadow starts to emerge and your business is not as smooth anymore... What begins to itch? While the rugged look may look great on mountain men, they are not your business.

Please take a couple days and think about it. Be honest with yourself. This will help identify your next steps... Stay tuned.

~The GURU

What We All Should Learn From AOL

2008-02-18T19:14:00.003-05:00

An Example of Accepting 'Status Quo'

As I have mentioned a few times, I abhor hearing the words 'status quo' or 'nothing is changing" when speaking with business men and women and even more-so when my clients utter these words. These are the people who are not driving their businesses forward and in the end will not reach their full potential.

I was reading this article about the passing of an era, and that era is AOL. I remember the day I created my first screen name. I was so excited. I set it up on my dad's laptop and was new to the internet. I had no idea what world awaited my finger-tips. The ease of use of AOL was amazing, even a 7th grader could understand it. To this day I still have that screenname. Too bad AOL did not know what it hand at its own finger tips..

AOL was great for dial-up. The internet was still young. There were not many internet heavy applications for both residential and commercial users. However, recently,

The company's revenues fell 33 percent to $5.2 billion from $7.8 billion a year ago, Time Warner said yesterday. The company attributed the loss to a 52 percent drop in revenues from dial-up subscriptions. AOL, which once boasted more than 20 million subscribers, lost 3.8 million subscribers last year and now has 9.3 million in the United States.

However, there have been increases in ad revenue, an 18% increase, but as internet ads themselves begin to require more bandwith, 56k users are only going to continue to suffer and be in decline.

Of course, the individuals who simply check email and nothing more on the internet do not really care, but as shopping/customer service/everything under the sun migrates to the internet, 56k users are going to need to realize, they need more bandwidth.

Hopefully, you've noticed already I've mentioned 56k users twice already because that is what AOL has given its name to.

They are hand-in-hand. If someone says, "AOL" and "High Speed" in the same
sentence, people chuckle and think you are joking.

Yes, AOL does offer broadband, but their image is fixed, in my opinion as a dial-up / low end ISP.

Now, if AOL wants to the dial-up market leader, then by all means, go-ahead, but how is that going to work down the road? Like I alluded to earlier, bandwidth needs are only increasing. "There are people who probably will want something less than a $42 cable bill to get e-mail," but he noted it's "not a market they want to be in."

All I am really trying to say here is that your business is never fully sound unless you are continually progressing forward. AOL struck gold, got too comfortable, and then soon began to decline...

Nothing much else to say, I'm still recovering from my first bike race of the season. It was tough!
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080207/BUSINESS/260710015/1006/business

~The GURU

The Dangers of the "Walk-In"

2008-02-06T19:37:00.002-05:00

Their first goal is to sell you something, the sooner you accept that, the sooner you save yourself trouble down the road.

Well, the posts have been scarce and for that I apologize. Still realing from the Patriots loss I guess... Whatever, the Tour of California awaits to cheer me up.

You're in your office, store, place of business and someone walks in, looking to "speak" with a employee about your business. This individual uses some trendy buzz words, acts like they know your business, you sign something, and they are gone. A few months later your bills have sky-rocketed, you cannot track down the person who said they could give you the world, and basically, you are S.O.L.... Ladies and gentlemen, you've just been hosed.

This happens all too much and it is sickening. A sound business owner should always be very skeptical if a salesperson comes in and requests that you sign something THAT DAY! Why would you want to alter your business and take the advice of a person you just meant and does not know diddly-squat about your business? Thus, the importance of building relationships with your suppliers, clients, vendors is one of the most crucial aspects of business. So, here are the Small Biz. Guru's First Line of Defense Tips to avoid being "hosed":

Issue 1: "They Don't Know Your Business, But They Want You to Buy Their Product!!"

An individual walking in for a "cold visit" has the intentions of selling you something that day. They want to make money, regardless of the benefit to you, because most likely, you will not track them down later.

Remedy:

If this person raises your awareness on something, tell him/her thank-you and to leave some contact information to reach them later (most likley not). Do not sign anything from a person who just introduced themselves for the first time.
Why are they all of a sudden qualified to consult you on your business?
After you see the salesperson off, you contact your vendor. We'll use the example of telecommunications. Vendors come in / call all the time saying they can reduce your bill. If you think there is some truth to that, pick up the phone and speak with your representative. They know your account. They know you. Most importantly, if you have the relationship, they will tell it to you straight and not try to dupe you.

Issue 2: "It's a Free Upgrade.."

This unfamiliar face states there is a deal for a free upgrade on your service. Big no-no. Nothing in life is ever-free. These people sucker you in with promotions that last for three months then your bill kicks up 50%.... YIKES!

Remedy:

Once again, take their information, and call your vendors and see what they say.

Issue 3: "They laugh at your bill"

They look at your bill and laugh. "You're paying too much. Sign this and we'll fix you right up"

Remedy:

This person does not know your set-up. For what your business is trying to do, it could be the ideal set-up. The lowest cost is not always the best way to do business. Remember, you get what you pay for. However, you could be paying too much, but it could be your fault. How often are you in contact with your vendors? While they monitor your account, your business could be evolving and your current business model is not adapting properly. Also, there could be new alternatives. Having a relationship with people involved with your business is the only way you will be successful long-term.

Overall, be smart about cold-sellers walking into your building. Build the relationships with your providers / vendors so when you have questions you can contact them and not the sleazy salesperson that walks into your place of business recommending solutions to you without knowing your business. Remember, they walk in trying to sell you something that day.

~The GURU

Enough Phone Lines?

2008-01-27T18:35:00.000-05:00

Does your business have the correct number of talk paths?

I realized I have veered away from the telecommunications sector and want to discuss some topics in this ever-changing field. We're starting off with the VERY basics here:

Do your clients ever complain of busy signals? (Which results in lost sales) Has your call volume increased and you have not really adapted your business communications? This entry is aimed at helping a business owner always have the most efficient number of phone lines at his disposable. After reading this, one should be able to discover if have the correct quantity, do not have enough, or even, he may have too many.

First off, we need to have this data on hand: 1) How many employees make phone calls, not the total number of employees. If we have 10 employees in the office and 10 out in the field, we do not need 20 total lines. 2) What is the typical number simultaneous phone conversations taking place at once? We'll say 7. 3) How many fax / DSL lines? We'll say 2. 4) What other ways are phone lines utilized? (conferencing etc) (2)

Every employee does not require their own phone line, unless of course, every employee will be on the phone at the exact same time. This is where the simultaneous phone conversations take place. If you believe only 7 of the 10 employees will ever be on the phone at once, you only need 7 phone lines. Then, we add the fax lines (2). The DSL runs in already on one of the voice lines, so it does not need its own line. Finally, if you require conference calls (2), or connect calls to different departments, you will need more lines. So, a total of 11 lines.

If the business requires over 15 lines / simultaneous talk paths, a dedicated circuit is more cost-effective and we will discuss that at a later date.

Overall, be pro-active with your telecommunications. TALK and work very closely with your telecommunications consultant/rep. If you do not know yours or always snub them off, you are only hurting yourself. Most of the time, they know the newest trends and solutions for your business. I love working along my clients every step of the way. They speak with me about what they are trying to do, and I bring forth complete solutions. Business communications are an investment, work with someone who strives to make them the best possible.

~The GURU

A Shout Out To Small Business

2008-01-22T21:11:00.001-05:00

As I was reading one of the business publications I subscribe to, I read a simple, most likely, glanced over sentence. It basically read, "...a seven employee, $3 million company.."

And, I thought to myself, I love this. Now, for some businesses this is a grain of sand in a sand-box, but let's really reflect on this: 7 individuals are generating that much revenue and that is spectacular. The idea probably started in some sleep-deprived guy's musty garage. In the same vicinity, some businesses have even fewer employees and can generate those kinds of numbers. It proves that size does not matter. If you can strike a chord with a market segment, you will reap the benefits.

This is one of the reasons I love small business. This is one of the reasons my passion for entrepreneurs / small business is limitless. This is one of the reasons you can-never-ever give up your will to succeed. This is one of the reasons the ability to harness your passion to make something happen and make a difference is so stupendous because let's be honest, not everyone has the passion to drive forward no-matter-what.

The financial prosperity is great, but money is not the be-all. Knowing you gave chase to "what-could-be" and made it happen is what the American dream is all about.

All I want to say is, thank-you small business owners. We are the driving force in our world. It takes risk to do what we do. Let's continue to progress forward.

~The GURU

Start Counting Your Bits?

2008-01-20T16:44:00.000-05:00

Time Warner: Every Bit Matters..
(even on their advanced fiber network)

In the eye's of Time Warner, the idea of a flat rate for internet usage maybe going into the recycling bin. Here is one experiment that should have us all miffed.

Now, reckon, this is for the residential sector, but who knows when this could move to the business side. Nevertheless, even residential applications are starting to require more bandwidth. World of Warcraft? HELLO?? Spending hours playing in a virtual world. Or, as internet music downloading continues to increase? Or, the "mischievous taboos" of the cyber-space.

Then there is this: How do we decide on bandwidth? Some people pay for 1.5Mbps, 56kbps, or higher. Obviously, you are going to have to pay for the speed capabilities and in addition pay for the data transferred? Yikes, talk about double "taxation"

Company spokesman Alex Dudley said the trial was aimed at improving the
network performance by making it more costly for heavy users of large downloads.
Dudley said that a small group of super-heavy users of downloads, around 5
percent of the customer base, can account for up to 50 percent of network
capacity.

Alex Dudley and the rest of his Road Runner clan may be entering into a battle they are unprepared for. Bandwidth needs are only increasing for EVERYONE. And besides!! What's happened to Time Warner's "Advanced Fiber Network"??? I see your god-awful commercials every day bragging about this...

I recall a commercial about Time Warner making fun of the "phone companies" for nickel & diming people to death, well, their about to do the same thing.

Imagine if this went into the Business neighborhoods? Yikes, I hope you do not use ERP!
*beep* *beep*

Le Link

~The GURU

"Before 7" Crowd Challenges the "After 5" Crowd

2008-01-14T22:08:00.001-05:00

The "New" Staying Late

A look into my morning routine:
-Wake up at 6am sharp. What is a snooze button?
-Stretch for 5 minutes
-Prepare cereal or oatmeal
-Shower and suit up for work
-I'm sitting in my office by 7am, at the latest.

The next 45-60 minutes are all mine and it is my personal sanctuary / ivory tower. Cue up the cd (oops, IPOD now) player and pop in a little Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, or some other jazz artist and I'm in the zone.

Personal reflection or "getting your life organized" for the day is something I do every day. I do not even turn the overhead lights on, just the desk lamp. I prepare proposals, research my clients, perfect paperwork from the day before, and sometimes *gasp* clean my desk / relegate old papers!

7:50am rolls around and everyone else comes bumbling in, then proceeds to socialize for 15-30-45 minutes (My co-workers may give me some flack for that remark). Then, when it is time to "start" work, no one is prepared and meanwhile, I am ready to go and head-down. I am a very driven and focused person. I know what is expected from me and I know what I need to accomplish. It's how I was raised.

How does your morning grind go?
I want to make clear, in no way am I saying those that come in later are not great workers or successful. I am simply saying, I usually see two things: 1) Out the door right at 5pm and content with where they are, or 2) Staying way past 5pm.

(Are you one of the people above? Counting down to 5pm?)

I do not like staying past 5pm. No one does. It destroys family time, social time, and non-work relaxation (ie hobbies). I am one of the biggest advocates of family time (and I'm single) and not sacrificing my life for just work. Nor do I count down to 5pm.

I am a die-hard cyclist. I train. I race. I push myself to new horizons. There are mornings when I'm up at 4am to train, but, usually, I like to ride right after work where I can put in 2-4 hours. It is my outlet from work, not to mention a little swing dancing once a week.

Between the hours of 7am and 5pm, I'm heads down. Sometimes, I do not even take a lunch. Just sit at my desk and eat. It is all about efficiency and productivity. Just so you all do not think I am a strict hour gnome, when the job demands staying past 5pm, I do it. I have done my fair share of 12 hour work days. But, on a whole, I do not need to because I do not waste (excuse me, I "maximize") time during the work hours. You may think being connected with your Blackberry or home-access improves your ability to work, but we'll open up this can of worms at a later date. (Hate to break it to you, but it does not)

To address the "social circle" crowd. If you need those social hours, get together outside of work. Go grab a beer or get-together for some event after work. I love speaking with my co-workers as well, but there is a time and a place. When co-workers respect your routine, it makes life easier as well. My clients expect me to be working for them between 7am-5pm, that is what I do and I'm damn good at it. When individuals try to hinder my ability to properly serve my clients and my name is on the line, you better watch out.

So, to wrap this up, mix your schedule up for a week or two. Come into work earlier than usual. Reflect on the upcoming day's hustle and bustle. Avoid the prolonged social time. Keep your head-down for the duration of the day and see what time you get out on average for the week(s). You'll see a metamorphous in your life. In addition, I bet your hours will not be stretched too long past 5pm.

Let's fight for our after-5pm lives.

~The GURU

Let Me See My Network!

2008-01-08T20:37:00.001-05:00

Empower the Biz. Owner to see his networks and monitor it himself.

The all-too-common scenario: You're at home with your family or innocently relaxing. Then, your Blackberry begins to chime. You pick up your little handheld and learn... your network is down or experiencing "technical difficulties." And, this is the night all the file transfers and data back-ups have been schedule, and on top of that, you were submitting your proposal to a huge potential client.
A patch of sweat wets your brow, your heart rate went from resting to around 190bpm, and your kids might have just learned a new four letter word. What is your next step?
You do not know where the trouble is in your network. Is it even my network or is my service provider experiencing problems? All the routers, cables, hubs, etc are a vast maze. You passed on paying out the yin yang for the third party network management who, whenever you spoke with them, sounded like jibberish.

Now, what is your service provider doing? Do they pro-actively monitor your network? So, they already know there is a problem? How about SLAs (service license agreements)? All this information is critical. Most likely if it is some basement bargain priced providers you are in a "predicament." Remember, most of the time and what I am a firm believer in, "you get what you pay for." What are your answers to these questions? If you have a blank mind, better get on this...

However, if you are one of the enlightened ones, you realize telecommunications is an investment for your business. No communications = Business/Customers can't contact you. So, providers that pro-actively monitor networks to the T are where you need to be with your business. For example, the company I work for proactively monitors all its networks. If there are problems you see our trucks EVERYWHERE. Also, most of the networks supplied to you come with network management tools. The user can pull up all the network's statistics. You can pin-point where the problem is. Meanwhile, Mr. Bargain Basement is sleeping, most likely not even aware of the problem with your network. Do you ever even see their technicians?

C'mon, telecommunications are only becoming more critical with our globalizing world.
So, let's be honest here. Being able to see your network at any time is greatly beneficial. You can ping your network. Pin-point when you're peaking with bandwidth or trying to zero-in on problems, you can have more answers than question marks. The smarter and more-respected service providers are providing these services to their clients. Is your provider?

Web states are you friend. Take advantage of them.

~The GURU

The Unveiling...

2008-01-03T20:08:00.001-05:00

I truly hope this website gives you all another outlet and perspective on your businesses. My video simply re-enforces my overall goals/mindsets. Never hesitate to ask me questions.

http://youtube.com/user/TheSmallBizGuru

~The GURU

"To Be Or Not To Be..."

2008-01-01T18:50:00.001-05:00

A New Year's Reality Check

Happy New Year everyone! Hopefully your head-ache induced from last night is fading off, and now we can begin to bring your business to full force into 2008.

Oh wait.... ah yea... you may wish you were still in the blissful New Year's Eve proviso after you answer these questions that maybe puzzling or impeding business plans.

Roy Williams, a columnist from Entrepreneur Magazine enjoins some phrases you may have uttered and I had the itch to piggy back on them due to their potency... no one wants to see their baby (ie. Biz.) die.

1."Our only problem is traffic."
2."That's not our customer."
3."Our advertising is reaching the wrong people."
4."I don't worry about what the competition is doing; I only worry about what we're doing."
5."There's enough business out there for all of us."
6."We can't compete with the internet."
7."Our secret is our people. No one provides as warm a customer experience as we do."

First off, there have been times when I have been guilty of verbalizing these phrases, (I'm human after all), but where some biz. owners falter is that they are not quick to begin making changes. It comes down to denial. Anyways, let's look at the positives here: the fact you have the mindset to possibly admit to these phrases tells you you want to be successful and now we can ambush the problems and develop remedies to see the greater gains. Don't know how yet? No worries. If the subject is still a little sensitive, keep your confessions in your noggin, but I strongly advise you to begin to act on them ASAP. I bet you competitors aren't pausing...

I've kept this short for a reason. If you have emitted this phrases, give them some great thought about why, then let's see how we can redress and emend the state of affairs.

I would read Mr. William's article for a little more detail.
"Famous Last Words"

~The GURU

The Price Is Right.. Come on Down! North Carolina

2007-12-18T21:28:00.001-05:00

Tax credits, 3.7 billion dollars in incentives over the past three years, beautiful weather/landscapes, great people, and great business opportunities, and so much more. What's not to like?

North Carolina is continuing to progress itself forward in bringing more business to its cities. As Senator David Hoyle says, "That's a lot of money." While the findings/results of the studies are still somewhat unclear about the success of the programs and cost-benefits, we need to realize that if Dell and Google have taken advantage of it, it probably means its good for businesses.

While Sen. Hoyle and others are doubting the great benefits and trying to quantify everything to the T, let's not waste anytime and move or open-up your business in good 'ole North Carolina.

There is "no value unless a company acts."

Here is the North Carolina Department of Commerce Website
Here is the Charlotte, NC Chamber of Commerce Website

Tell them I sent you.

Then, call me.

Link: http://www.charlotte.com/business/story/403306.html
article written by Jonathan B. Cox

~THE GURU

Blackberry vs. Vacation: Zapping All That is Pure

2007-12-17T13:01:00.001-05:00

Do you check your waistline every morning and every 5 seconds thereafter? Do you yearn to hear the little email chime? Do you crave to feel like you are involved at all times? Do you start scratching your neck when you have not had a “fix” in a few minutes? Well, my friends, you have a Blackberry addiction. While there will be a plethora of topic discussions on wireless devices (usually very positive), this little soap-box is quite the contrary. And, in light of the Holiday Season, we need to re-align our priorities.

Honestly, this should not even be a topic, but times are a changin’ and I’m a man current of the times. So, what is the point of vacation? The dictionary says:

· a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday: Schoolchildren are on vacation now.
· a part of the year, regularly set aside, when normal activities of law courts, legislatures, etc., are suspended.
· freedom or release from duty, business, or activity.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vacation)

When we were children, we loved vacation. No homework! Lounge around, see friends, watch TV, and not a care in the world. Now look at us, some of us are even penalized if we take a vacation (not officially, but you know what I’m talking about). It is like the ‘optional football conditioning practices’ coaches hold before the season. It’s not mandatory, but if you are not there, you will not be playing.

But here is a newsflash. This is not football practice, our jobs are what we do everyday of our lives for 8-14hrs a day. Do not sell yourself short for the ‘approval’ of someone else.
Why are we all so willing to risk our health? Family? Fun? Care-free spirit? And, most importantly, our SANITY?!! to get the latest office ‘spam’ update.

So let us go back to the definition: “a period of suspension of work, study… used for rest, recreation…” Where is the suspension from work if you have your Blackberry chiming every 5 seconds? Just get away for a couple days. Give your neck and ears a break from the constant checking.

I am not going on record saying Blackberries are evil; all I am articulating is that vacation is to be refreshing and re-connecting with your bicycle you’ve left in the garage, or your family, or whatever you do to re-charge your mind, body, and spirit.

So, I close this entry imploring you, for the sake of your family, health, and sanity, shut the blackberry down and enjoy some eggnog and *cough* rum *cough* and welcome your vacation/couple days off away from the office, and if you need to, check back here and re-read the three vacation definitions.

This Isn't Stephen King's "IT"

2007-12-09T20:44:00.001-05:00

This post was inspired by this article by Ramon Ray from Entrepreneur.com
http://www.entrepreneur.com/technology/techbasicscolumnist/article172858.html

IT… An abbreviation that, in this day and age, has fashioned and is fashioning three distinct clusters of biz owners. The first yields, for a minute few business owners, hordes of financial capital. These people are IT GUNG HO!! The second is a collection of people reluctantly embracing IT. They are like people in the movie theater watching the scary movie shielding their eyes, hoping the scene changes. They went to the theater to see the show but did not want to become fully involved with what is happening. And, the final tier may be the majority of small and medium sized business owners, and they view IT as just two letters compounded into a useless abbreviation.

Well, guess what!? It’s here to stay. Whether you want to realize it or not, IT or "Information Technology" is here to stay. You cannot be afraid of it. You need to embrace and snuggle up with it. If you treat it right, it will return the favor with great returns on investment (ROI) and make you a leader in your business / industry.

However, you cannot simply throw capital at it. That would be foolish! The four main issues Mr. Ramon Ray touched upon were: “1) Lack of Education 2) Inability to Prioritize 3) Integrating Information, and 4) Data Protection & Security.” (1/10/2007). I will touch briefly upon them and begin to raise awareness of Information System benefits.

1) Lack of Education
“Ignorance is bliss.” You believe that and your biz. will come to an end. One of the reasons a major telecom. company had problems a few years ago was that we refused to change and accept that we needed to amend how we go about providing services to our clients. We were just the “phone company.” We did not fully embrace IT benefits. Now look at us, we are a mean, lean, telecommunications machine providing amazing solutions for real life business demands. I can say that my clients will not suffer this fate, ever. I always make sure you are constantly evolving and innovating.

You need to keep in regular touch with me. While I do speak with you at least once a month, by keeping me (your IT guru) involved, you will never miss a beat. Staying ahead of the game is what it is always about. Educate yourself.
Do not be afraid to say, to either me or even yourself, “I don’t know.”
Personally, the more I mature, the more I realize, I am not afraid to say, “I don’t know” (obviously within reason). If there is a new product, trend, or process I am unsure about, I’ll ask. That way, I learn it right the first time and I show my peers I want to learn. That is the biggest step you can take. Admitting you are not the best enables you to go out, learn, absorb information, and then become the best. Keep in contact with your IT team, ‘nough said.

2) Inability to Prioritize
“You don’t tie your shoes THEN put them on.” Sure, your shoes look cleaner tied, but if your foot is not in the shoe, it is going to be, well, complicated…. Before we even see what is out there in regards to IT, you need to have your short, mid, and long-term goals figured out. Deciding that you want your team to have continuous access to company data in order to be competitive may be the first step in determining that going with a completely wireless mobile network is better than keeping everything under one roof in an office building. The options are endless.

3) Integrating Information
“All systems go, you are cleared for launch” When NASA (pretty cool site, http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html) launches a shuttle worth over a billion dollars, they are more than careful when it comes to its release. The weather, time, engineers, medics, mission control, and the hundreds of other teams that are in involved in the completed product and success of this launch are all on the same page in the count-down sequence. If even one thing is off, the entire mission is delayed. Now that is communication. Your business cannot have the silo effect. IT allows for all departments to be integrated.

“This is more than just Microsoft Excel”
I love it too, but business is not just numbers. Going by numbers strictly may hurt you long term. Your numbers guy needs to speak with the marketing guy who needs to meet with HR who needs to meet with the receptionist, who all meet with the CEO frequently. Everyone needs to fuse together and create one efficient organism. Everyone has good ideas. Even the bad ones give insight. By opening the floor to everyone, ideas will flourish. There are IT applications that allow this too. Whether it is ERP, Blackberries, inventory management, etc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_resource_planning)

4) Data Protection and Security
“Don’t get caught with your pants down” Wear your boxers, wear quality pants, and wear a belt. You skimp on this aspect of IT and be prepared to lose all sustainable competitive advantage, face a couple of law suits because your employees are suing you over their personal information being stolen, and those pictures you scanned from the photocopier of your lovely backside will be available for all to see. Always be prepared. Data back-ups and firewalls are mandatory. You never know what can occur and you want to be pro-active and on the blitzing defensive. That is how the ball game is won.

In closing, meet with your IT employees. Talk to them. Let them know what you are trying to do. If you do not have one, you need to call me. I am your IT contact and consultant. I understand the technologies that I can provide my clients, which may be used for your business advantage. Together we can determine what IT services can be best used to grow your business.

So, you’re in the movie theater, you eyes are covered hoping the scene passes. Do me a favor, uncover your eyes and look at all aspects of the IT scene. Clench and realize, it is not just random gore or suspense too intense to handle. IT is not a scary abbreviation. It’s part of the big picture and it is only getting bigger. You’ll be amazed at how many different pieces comprise an intense scene. Let’s make your business intense and progress it forward.

~The GURU

Exciting Events Are Happening...

2007-11-30T09:15:00.000-05:00

Are you working with the Guru?

I have unveiled the beginnings of the YouTube section of Guru's World. Here is the link:
http://youtube.com/user/TheSmallBizGuru

I am here to stay....

~The GURU

Top Carolina Companies... [YOUR NAME HERE] continued..

2007-11-26T18:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It is amazing how the holidays always take up more time than expected. Thus, my posts have been slow. This entry will close up the general takings a small business owner should follow/the mindset to begin to forge a successful business.

So, the last post touched upon the passion, goals, ability to look forward, and creativity all required to move the business in the right direction. Here are some other traits and practices to embrace:

1) Focus and Discipline
A driven small business owner who yearns to be successful has to have the focus and discipline to remain on course. There are thousands of distractions that we face everyday and you have to have your filters on. Stop checking your email every 10 seconds, turn off your blackberry, or your "crackberry", stop taking the 2 hour lunch. While these mediums do help remain in touch, they are distractions. When you are designing the newest product, drawing up budgets, reflecting on the business, or trying to devise the newest strategy, having distractions ruin the thought process. Know when to say enough is enough. Stay on course.

2) Write It Down
Our minds are beautiful mechanisms. We can remember experiences, information, and a plethora of other things, but always seem to forget that hot idea we had a few minutes ago or that we had last week. Do what I do, the moment something pops in my head, I write it down. You may think it is silly what you jot down, but upon reflecting on it or seeing how it fits in with other aspects of the business, you may be surprised. Even if it is absolutely nuts, write it down. Where do you think creativity comes from? You may think its nuts solely because it has never been done before.... how about you bring it to life?!!

3) Hire an Employee or Employees
After the business gains a little momentum, hire someone. Yes, it can be a financial undertaking, but do a cost-benefit analysis. A small business owner needs to focus his/her efforts on the bigger tasks, stop manning the phones or filing papers away. By having another body to help with the workload work can be done much faster and one can continue to drive the business to new heights. Why waste time sorting through junk mail when you could be reacting to the newest trends?

4) Put in the Effort
I cannot stress this enough. You reap what you sow. If you do not put in the time, you will not see the benefits. Be willing to try something new. Be willing to ask for help. Never let pride get in the way of trying to learn something new. There are times when I have been reluctant to ask a question because I thought everyone else knew it and I would look stupid and uneducated. But, I quickly learned, other people had the same questions, and I benefited from either clarifying the subject matter or learning something new. You do not know everything. As soon as you know that, and

learn to ask questions, and lots of them, you will learn a lot.

Talk to your associates who have business sense. Where have they faltered? Where have they found success? Read literature about starting businesses and how people before you have been successful. Immerse yourself and become a Guru in what you do!

Now, the most important advice I can bestow upon you....

5) HAVE FUN!!
Think about it... You are creating something no one has ever created before. Yes, there are businesses similar to yours, but not run the exact same way you run things. This business is your baby. It has your genes. You raise it the way you want to. But, never lose sight of why started it. Whether it is to make millions of dollars, make a name for yourself, or simply help provide a service to better consumers, have fun with it. Life is too short to make the business a drag and downer. Here is what you are apart of:

Small Business Effects on the Economy
-The estimated 25.8 million small businesses in the United States:
-Have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade
-Employ 50.6 percent of the country’s private sector workforce
-Represent 97 percent of all the exporters of goods
-Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms
-Generate a majority of the innovations that come from United States companies
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, June 2006.

In closing, a perfect analogy is the following commercial:

Replace the word "body" with "business" and it comes full circle. Listen to this commercial. Every word means something. Make your business a finely tuned machine. You can do whatever you want with your business. But, I already know you have the passion and drive to continue to grow and nurture your business even more because you kept reading my words to this point. Now, let's you and I act...

~The GURU

The Cable's Been Cut..... Finally, A Level Playing Field?

2007-11-17T07:44:00.001-05:00

Head of Cable Lobby Condemns FCC Report
(link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/14/AR2007111402377.html)

Oh, how shall I say this... what goes around comes around. While it is not exactly the same situation, hints of the 1974 Ma Bell divestiture which was enacted by Judge Harold H. Greene of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. in order to prevent a monopoly on telephone service is coming, finally, to the cable industry as well.

Phone companies have been fighting tooth and nail for business for over twenty years with so many services being regulated. Before the break-up, customers had the luxury of having one bill for all their services. Notice how I say 'luxury'. In this day and age, if you have all your services on one bill, you are one of the few. But, you are one of the smartest consumers out there. For my clients that have all their services with one provider, rates are much more feasible and economical. Why go through the torment of having your long distance with one provider? Internet with another? And, local with someone else? I would certainly 'love' all the bills. Let's kill some more trees!

But, going back to the article. "Kyle McSlarrow, president and chief executive of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association" seems to think this is unfair and that numbers have been "manipulated". Mr. McSlarrow is also accusing FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin of pressuring cable companies to offer 'a la carte' service. Telephone services do, why not cable?

Do they think they are above the strict regulations so many other industries face? Small business love the opportunity to compete, cable is trying to keep that from happening. Mr. McSlarrow then goes onto say how business models will be ruined. Well, it's your job to overcome the obstacles you face and make them into opportunities.

My last point is this:

"Last month, the FCC struck down the ability of cable companies to form exclusive contracts to serve apartment buildings."

If that does not scream monopoly at you, what will? The ability for companies to make proposals for service allows our free markets to work so the best possible rates are given to the consumer. Cable is using apartment buildings as fall backs.

In closing, we as consumers should welcome this. The saying "I have over 150 channels and nothing is ever on" should stop. We want to pay for the channels that we watch, not pay for a whole bunch of channels we have never even heard of... I love Hallmark cards, but I don't want to pay for the 35 cheesy movie channels they have..

My next entry will finish up my previous post about the top Carolina companies.

~The Guru

Report on Carolina's Top 100 Companies....... [Your Name HERE..]

2007-11-09T21:06:00.000-05:00

The Carolinas 100:Manufacturing still matters
Key sector has shed tons of jobs in N.C., but the industry is transforming into a lean, skilled force
(link: http://www.charlotte.com/carolinas100/story/145623.html)

As I spend my Friday evening reflecting on the past week's occurrences, this article strikes a chord with me. Even though the article speaks heavily about manufacturing, you and I can change that demographic. It won't happen overnight, but we can. Therefore, I ask you three simple questions:

1) Are you on this list?
2) Why / Why not?
3) Do you desire to?

All these top businesses most likely were created in the musty basement of a dreamer. Someone who wanted to bring their ideas to life and create an entity that made a difference in the world. Whether you have been in business for a couple months or for a couple decades and have not seen the gains you yearn for, read on and see how you can begin to achieve what you wanted when you first stubbed your toe on the table corner or slipped in the shower and the business idea popped into your mind.

Repeat these words over and over again, "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE", "NOTHING IS FAR-FETCHED".

At first, everything may seem overwhelming, but you need to take it a step at a time. Don't worry about all the financially details. Those will come.

Getting Off the Ground

1) Passion
You first have to zero-in on your passion. It is your passion that drives your success. Your passion shows through when you are in the meeting with investors. By simply being excited about your dream and having sound models and plans, you can rope in the capital soon enough, but it all starts first with an idea. It is not going to spring up over night. These are NOT weeds, but delicate flowers that, if properly and finely raised blossom into some of the most beautiful and extravagant things.

2) Goals
You have to set them for yourself. It cannot simply be: "I want to sell a few of my products/ services. You need to have QUANTIFIABLE and MEASURABLE check points. Write them down. Hold them close.

3) Looking Forward
There will be steps backwards and falters, but take them as learning experiences. Ask yourself, "How can I transform this set back into an opportunity?" If you can do that, you will NEVER suffer any loss.

Ask yourself, "How can I make this set back into an opportunity?"

4) CREATIVITY
You never, ever, EVER, know when an idea will strike. The idea to start making a blog for my customers popped into my head one night and I didn't sleep for the next week because my mind was overflowing with ideas and I had to write them all down.

I didn't sleep for the next week...my mind was overflowing with ideas"

Thus far we have started to uncover the initial processes one should begin to consider. If you noticed, a lot of what I spoke about deals with mental strength and fortitude. Know in your mind that you can do whatever you want and have so many resources at your finger tips. Your greatest limiter is most likely yourself, but your greater success tool is yourself.

Go out, dream it, and let's you and me start to make it a reality!

In efforts to keep this entry from being screen after screen, I will end it here and continue it in a couple days. In the next entry, we will discuss customers, target markets, and understand the grand scheme of small business dreams.

~The GURU

The Bitter Reality of Trusting Small Providers..

2007-11-08T17:25:00.000-05:00

Taken from a Boston Globe article today, titled, "Thousands cut off from Web as firm consolidates" (link: http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/11/08/thousands_cut_off_from_web_as_firm_consolidates/)

In summary, "Navisite Inc. has cut off Internet service to thousands of individuals and small businesses across the country for nearly a week." "It's mind-boggling that a company can be so ill-prepared about such a huge undertaking," said Donald Brichta, a partner in Anadon Communications, a small website provider in Sharon (MA), whose half-dozen customers finally got back online yesterday. "If I ran my business that way, I'd be out of business tomorrow."

To ask you straight up, what would happen if this happened to your business? E-commerce is a major strategic strategy in business success in this day and age and is only becoming more prominent. Not simply reaching customers in another medium, but also in trying to reduce costs and develop new infrastructures.

My company's robust network designs, technicians, and overall strategic decisions never put the small business owners in harm's way. We understand that even a couple hours of missed business can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in sale losses.

For example, a client that relies almost entirely on internet orders and access; the internet is their life line. If they were to lose service, they would be dead in the water.

A numeric example, let us say that each order received is worth $100. Let's be extremely conservative and say you miss 7 orders. That is $700 a day. Multiply that by 7 days a week - $4900. The cost benefit of investing in the non-bargain basement pricing of my company far outweighs itself.

We proactively monitors our networks 24/7/365. We see problems and rectify them most of the time without the customer even knowing about it and if we do suffer apparent set-backs, we have industry leading service level agreements. Even if we encounter a major issue, our redundant networks allow our customers to have traffic re-routed most of the time in minutes, if not seconds. We are here for you. I have the mentality, you get what you pay for. Nothing cheap comes with great quality.

I, for one, would never trust my baby (ie my business) with a provider that cannot handle the work load and plans so poorly for such huge undertakings.

So, the next time you think your telecommunications is costing you too high of a price, remember, you INVEST in the service that keeps you up 99.99% of the time. And, if you have a problem, you call me directly and I get our service technicians working on the problems immediately.

~ The GURU

Welcome to the First Post!

2007-11-07T20:11:00.002-05:00

Hello all,

My overall mission is to help my clients overcome challenges they face ranging from the daily set-backs to the big picture threats. I understand that there is always a gap that small business owners face, which is where they currently are and where they want to be. I help identify where the gap is and develop customized telecommunication solutions to help bring about change!

My Main Goal For This Blog:
I want my clients to know they have a consultant who does whatever it takes to keep you ahead of the industry trends and problems you face. While I do speak with you on a frequent basis, I cannot always be in touch with you, but through this blog , you can learn about the newest products and news. Then just call me and see where we can help your business grow!

So buckle your seat-belts, the GURU is loose and ready to elevate small business to a whole new level!

~ The Guru

The Small Biz. Guru / Smart Business Guru

Ironman Miami.. Whoops! Ironman Access Whoops!

BlackBerry Bold 9700 Review

Blackberry Bold 9700 Review

Ask and You Shall Receive

Review Update: Blackberry Curve (Verizon) & 8820 (AT&T)

Brief Response to the Article

The Guru was Interviewed

A telco survival guide

Would You Bet On It?

Product Review: BlackBerry 8820

BlackBerry 8820 Review Coming soon

When To Stop Your IT Investments?

The GURU is still alive

How Mobile is Your Business?

Travel Expenses: Hit Smart Businesses HARD

Product Review: BlackBerry Curve 8330

Book Review: Customer Approved Small Business

Customer Service... Or Lack There of at Verizon

I've Sold My Soul

I Have Toner All Over My Pants!

The Bottom Line on Printer Inks

Blogroll *Updated*

No IT Clowns Here Part II - Stephen King's "IT"

Do You Like Being "Always Home"?

Sell It On eBay! Airline Fee Satire

Selling Off People's Lives

Telecom. 101 -- Video Style

What is DSL?

Where is the GURU?

Smart Business Guru Emerge

"Phantom Telephone Traffic?"

Speaking of the 5 o'clock Shadow: Case Study

5 o'clock Shadow Part II

Be Prepared for Murder in the Skies

An Essay for a House?

Thanks for Spewing the Flu...

Recession Looms and People Spend on Movie Tickets?!

The Flu Claims Another

What's Your Company's "5 O'Clock Shadow"?

What We All Should Learn From AOL

The Dangers of the "Walk-In"

Enough Phone Lines?

A Shout Out To Small Business

Start Counting Your Bits?

"Before 7" Crowd Challenges the "After 5" Crowd

Let Me See My Network!

The Unveiling...

"To Be Or Not To Be..."

The Price Is Right.. Come on Down! North Carolina

Blackberry vs. Vacation: Zapping All That is Pure

This Isn't Stephen King's "IT"

Exciting Events Are Happening...

Top Carolina Companies... [YOUR NAME HERE] continued..

The Cable's Been Cut..... Finally, A Level Playing Field?

Report on Carolina's Top 100 Companies....... [Your Name HERE..]

The Bitter Reality of Trusting Small Providers..

Welcome to the First Post!

Blogroll Updated