Not All Tech is Successful

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In recent years iPads, smartphones, and Kindles have been a few of the most in demand gadgets on the market. However, not all tech is created equal. Companies can’t predict what’s going to become popular, no matter how much they love it. Here are a few that never quite caught on.

Famous tech failures

  • Apple TV: Apple TV lets users buy their entertainment straight from iTunes and stream it on their computers, handheld devices, or TVs. The unfortunate part of this, which may be the reason for its less then popular standing, is that it is somewhat limited to iTunes.
  • Sony Mylo: Mylo came in under the radar that’s the reason you may not remember it. It was a Wi-Fi-enabled mobile device from Sony that allowed people to connect to the Internet, send e-mail and it came with Skype! It didn’t get much attention as the iPhone and its app store overwhelmed it.

The Segway peters out

  • Segway PT: The Segway PT scooter had a lot of media hype before its launch. It was expected to be wildly successful, that it may even replace cars in metropolitan areas. However, people thought it made them look kind of silly so it never quite caught on. I suppose next to a flashy sports car there is no comparison.

The CueCat doesn’t purr

  • CueCat: Shaped like a cat, the CueCat was a barcode reader introduced to the public in 1999. It permitted consumers to open a link to an Internet address by scanning a barcode on an item. The thought was that consumers would appreciate surfing to a website without having to enter in that site’s address. This hypothesis proved flawed, and it wasn’t long before the CueCat’s maker, Digital Convergence Corporation, was out of business.

What You Need to Know About Data Security

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It is easy to fall into the mistaken idea that you already possess enough safeguards in position to protect your small business. You probably stay current with the latest antivirus software, but is that sufficient? You also probably think that since you’re not a huge corporation, you don’t have to worry about cyber criminals hacking into your system. But here’s the unfortunate reality: cyber criminals have upped their game and are starting to target small businesses increasingly more. Let’s take a closer look to  give you a better understanding of the level of danger your business may be under.

Small firms: low-hanging fruit

Unfortunately, small companies make easy targets, so hackers are starting to focus on them. Small firms are quick hacks and the criminals can make more hacks at a faster rate. With increased chances, their odds of stealing useful information goes up substantially. As a small business, you may not think you have any important information, but in today’s world even the most basic information may be used to do harm to someone else. Credit card purchases are the most common targets of cyber criminals. Each time your system runs a transaction, it must verify the cardholder’s information. This information can contain card numbers, addresses, names, and more. Your clients don’t want this information stolen!

How hackers gain access to your data

How can they get this sensitive data? Though you may be protected by software meant to firewall your systems, hackers still have several points of entry. Email attachments are a serious offender, and openingjust one piece of malware can leave you exposed. In fact, in the first quarter of this year alone, industry experts have detected over six million different malware programs. Attackers don’t have to be sophisticated to be harmful: when trying to breach your data security, some hackers have a low-tech procedure instead. They might contact your employees directly, and posing as a network administrator, request their password to improve security. This is called “phishing.” While you may believe your workers know better than to be seduced by such an obvious tact, it takes merely one lapse in judgment to leave your systems open to attack.

The buck stops with you

Many people believe that since credit card companies are usually responsible for any counterfeit charges that occur from a hacking event, that data security isn’t crucial. While this may be true for a consumer, for a business owner the result may be very different. Consumers will hold you responsible personally should their information be stolen. Damage control after an attack can cost an organization thousands of dollars and in some cases a single attack can spell the end of business in general.

An ounce of prevention…

Data security is very important and any additional precautions you can take would be sensible. Use strong passwords and update your existing security systems regularly. Educate your staff on safety measures they can take, such as creating strong passwords and never giving out login information. Hiring an outside consultant to help you ensure you and your client’s information is safe is another good idea. Simple measures can give you peace of mind that your systems are safe, and your clients will know you have their best interests at heart.

Part 2: Improving the Culture Within Your Company

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Our last blog post explored the reasons why having a vibrant business culture is essential for your brand. The positive effects of a healthy culture are many, while the result of letting the culture of your company decline can be very detrimental indeed. In our previous post, we touched on the way to measure the cultural health of your organization, but how do you strengthen that culture if necessary?

The first step is to ask yourself a couple of questions to get a sense of the “feel” you would like your organization to have:

  • What attributes do you value that you want to show up in your company’s culture? Respect, acceptance, creativity, fun, etc.?
  • What are your company’s values and how can the culture mirror them?
  • How is information currently distributed in the company and how does this affect the culture?
  • How are employees presently recognized? 
  • Does everyone feel listened to in the company? Do people feel free to express their ideas and offer their opinions?

These should lead you to more questions. Consider having a brainstorming session with your employees to find the right solutions for your company. Here are a few ideas we came up with:

Suggestion/Thought box – Permitting people to anonymously share their thoughts or opinions concerning the day to day in the office can result in a more open feeling in the company. These concerns can be brought up in company meetings if they pertain to everyone.

Empower employees – Give people control over their jobs by treating them like peers rather than peons. You can accomplish this by being more transparent; don’t just communicate when you have successes, inform them when things aren’t going perfectly. It will produce a team full of mutual support.

Flexible hours – You hired your employees because you trust them to do their job. Allowing them to have somewhat flexible hours shows you trust them to get their work done well and on time. The respect you give them will be reflected in the respect they give you.

Dress code – Gone are the days of the suit and tie everyday (at least in many fields), so let personnel express themselves with their clothing. This will help make them feel free and accepted. Another idea is to have themed clothing days. Examples of this are: wig day, silly t-shirt day, hat day, etc. Let employees make suggestions for themes. A little silly goes a long way.

Celebrate – A business is composed of the people in it, so celebrate together. A monthly movie day, a catered lunch, or lunchtime board game days are only a few ways you can get your staff together to celebrate.

Below is a list of things that real companies do to add some fun to their culture:

  • Spontaneous Nerf gun wars
  • Painting inspirational quotes on the walls
  • Hitting a loud gong when there is a success to let the whole company know
  • Foosball tournaments
  • Lunchtime Yoga
  • Lunchtime Crafting Club
  • Monday Mad Libs, whoever wishes to contribute, does, and then the completed Mad Lib is emailed to the company

Healthy Culture: How Your Business is Affected: Part 1

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Strategy and finances are not the only facets of a successful company, but they are usually what companies concentrate on. It might not seem obvious, but company culture plays a very important role too. It can affect your branding, marketing, and day-to-day operations, and how the public views your company. For instance when we consider brands like Apple, Google, and Starbucks, not only do their logos and products come to mind, but a variety of positive qualities: warmth, efficiency, fun, excellence, etc. These attributes are thanks in part to each company’s positive business culture.

Why Culture is so Important

Giving your employees a feeling of ownership over their jobs ensures that they feel empowered, and empowerment encourages innovative thinking. This all begins with a healthy workplace culture. If people feel invisible or stifled in their work place, they’ll do the bare minimum expected of them. It’s human nature to want to feel like we are part of something and that we have some control over our lives. Don’t forget that your brand is comprised of the individuals in your company. So nurturing a good company culture isn’t just the responsibility of the HR department, but of everyone, from the CEO to the janitor.

If you are not yet convinced, here are some of the obvious advantages of cultivating a healthy culture.

  • Focus – When people are focused on the same goal, that goal is more easily attained. Businesses that have a healthy culture, have employees that care about the collective goal and sincerely endeavor to reach it. Unhealthy cultures can bring about cynicism because individuals do not feel connected to the goal. Their goal is to simply get through the day.
  • Cohesion – Healthy culture can bring about strong communication in good and bad times. In a place where there is unhealthy culture people may frequently resent being told what to do because they don’t feel their opinions are heard or appreciated. Whenever a problem occurs they may avoid pointing it out because they fear backlash.
  • Motivation – A determined workforce gets things done. That might seem apparent, but companies that don’t pay attention to the health of their culture could be struggling when it comes to productivity. Being motivated to work hard is a trait that ought to be present in every individual in the company if the culture is healthy.

Measuring the Cultural Health of Your Company

You should assess your company’s culture a few times a year. How can you do this? First, take a look at how your workers are managed. It is true that a few individuals may never be happy but, in general, if the consensus is unfavorable you may start thinking about adjustments to improve the culture to help your business. Tune in soon for a few tips on making your company culture more positive.

Online Invoicing the Easy Way

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You opened your own catering business because you love to cook. You went into the bakery business to sell cookies and cakes. You didn’t open your own landscaping company because you love paperwork. Yet to be a successful small business owner, you cannot disregard the financial side of your business, and this means that you have to make certain you accurately invoice your clients. Forgetting to invoice your customers can leave you with a significant cash flow problem, one which, if left unchecked, could put you out of business.

Invoicing help online

Using a web-based invoicing service is a viable option for business owners who want a quicker, more reliable way, and often-automatic means to invoice their clients. You can find a multitude of available online options to choose from that can take that wearisome task of paperwork off your plate. Below we’ll take a look at just 3 of the possibilities out there:

A free but powerful invoicing service

BillingBoss has a big advantage: It’s free. This online tool enables you to set up automatic invoicing of repeat customers and send out once-off invoices to those customers who aren’t regular. Do not be deceived because this service is free. It ought to be plenty powerful enough for the vast majority of small business owners.

A power tool

Next let’s examine AcceptPay. Developed and run by American Express, AcceptPay is a very impressive service that connects with QuickBooks, enables online payments, and has a wider array of invoicing options. At the reasonably low monthly price of $30, this is a great option for those companies that desire a more robust service.

Invoicing for the tech-savvy

Lastly we’ll consider the most customizable option of the bunch, BambooInvoice. This open source program is hosted on your own servers and can be easily customized for your business’ needs. So if you need more control and are a bit tech-savvy, BambooInvoice might be your best choice.

The best news for entrepreneurs is that these services are only a small sample of the numerous online invoicing services available, most of them free or low-cost. Those business owners who wish to quickly gain control over their invoicing process should check them out.

Microsoft: real-time threat feed

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It looks as if Microsoft is ready to do its part to deter cyber crimes. Microsoft intends to offer real-time feeds that partners can use to analyze possible cyber threats and take the proper steps to boost their defenses against these attacks.

With Microsoft’s success in tackling botnets, they have been able to acquire a lot of information around the specific threats these botnets pose. By allowing the botnets to contaminate highly monitored environments, Microsoft had been able to identify and remove the malicious bots and also discover how they work.

This collected data is now given to ISPs, private and government organizations, & CERTs. While real-time data may not reduce the quantity of attacks by malicious code, the result of sharing this data will likely be quite remarkable. IT security companies should be able to respond more speedily to these threats and therefore be able to reduce the level of damage they can cause.

Another great result a real-time threat feed could have is an improvement in overall information sharing between IT security companies. For too long IT companies have been reluctant to share threat information for the fear that it could fuel more attacks. Most experts say this an unsupported fear.  The cyber criminal “community” has already been sharing and learning from each other.  It’s only logical therefore that IT security professional share as much information as possible to battle the seemingly endless barrage of new cyber threats.

The IT industry has for too long considered the sharing of the information of a cyber attack an invitation for a copycat attack. Hopefully Microsoft’s first small steps toward a more connected IT security force will take root and that sharing data and information is a better choice than secrecy.

Security in the Cloud: Part 2

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The cloud can be a great thing for small business owners battling through tough economic times. Instead of purchasing costly enterprise software, business owners can save their dollars by accessing powerful computing programs in the cloud, from high-end word processors and project-management tools to spreadsheets and Photoshop alternatives. But, the cloud isn’t perfect, especially when it comes to security issues. Business owners need to be conscious that their documents, presentations, and marketing materials can be damaged when they’re stored in the cloud.

Password issues

One of the biggest security issues when dealing with the cloud is password protection. This is also one of the biggest security issues outside of the cloud.

Selecting a hard to guess password for data and information in the cloud is a simple way for business owners to safeguard themselves. Creating a password that has both numbers and letters, and if possible, special characters. Another consideration for business owners is who needs to have access to these passwords. The more people that have access to passwords the more at risk the data is.

Hacker alert

A few serious problems that will not soon disappear for anyone who uses a computer are hackers, malware, and spyware. As business owners have little control over how secure the cloud is this part of security can be very scary indeed. Businesses like Microsoft and Google must create their own security measures to safeguard the data stored in the cloud.

Common sense protection

Protecting yourself from theft in the cloud is often as easy as applying some common sense practices.

First, owners should think about what type of information they’re storing in the cloud. The most sensitive data, data that could damage a company if it is lost or stolen, might not be ideal for cloud storage. Instead, this data might be better stored on a business owner’s individual computing system and dependably backed up.

Secondly, business owners must remain vigilant about who they grant access to their cloud-stored data, documents, and reports. Owners are mindful about whom they allow to access the files on their desktops and laptops and they should be equally careful when it comes to granting others access to their cloud-hosted information.

Cloud Security: Part 1

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The advantages of cloud computing are obvious. Not only can you free up needed space on your servers and computers, it is possible to backup important data and effortlessly share it within your company. But when it comes to data sharing and storage for your business, you may have some questions regarding cloud security, particularly if your business requires you to protect consumer data in a way that is compliant with HIPAA, PCI or Sarbanes-Oxley regulations.

Do cloud storage solutions adhere to these regulations? Are they required to? If they haven’t spelled it out in their privacy policies, it is safest to assume they are not compliant. We will explore this more below.

Compliance

More and more companies are using the cloud for storage. For obvious reasons, it is a very cost effective strategy to use. Even so, improper handling of your client’s information can harm your reputation and result in a loss of business for your company. If your company mandates that client data be handled in a controlled way, you must first learn how secure the cloud service is and what regulations does the cloud service providers comply with. If a company has not specifically said they comply with certain policies, it’s safe to assume they don’t.

Who is responsible

Whose responsibility is the security of the cloud? It’s not presently required that a service provider be explicit regarding their compliance with these regulations. While the safest option is to assume that if they haven’t clearly stated that they’re in compliance in their privacy policy, they are not. This may mean that cloud computing is not for you. However, if your business doesn’t require tight regulations, then the advantages of cloud computing could be an excellent solution for you. 

Currently there’s no law in place that requires a company to divulge this information. Cloud computing services can save your company money while boosting efficiency, but they could also risk noncompliance with privacy laws. This leaves the risk on your shoulders and it is up to you to weigh the advantages and threats for yourself. The topic of cloud security is likely to be one of much debate in coming years. At the moment, the right road to travel is the one which best meets your company’s unique needs.

Developing a Disaster Recovery Plan

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Disasters can happen to any company and they come in many forms and severities. They can be anything from a natural disaster, to a well-meaning employee accidently downloading a destructive virus, to something vital getting mistakenly deleted. These what-ifs can keep you up at night, so for your own reassurance develop a disaster recovery plan.

Decide What’s Important

The first step is knowing what you have and what’s important. Take an inventory of all the data that is critical for your organization to run. This will lead you to the data that should be backed up. Using an online provider or the cloud to store all of your data is one way to ensure data recovery if your hard drive crashes and burns.

Make a Plan

The second step is figuring out the steps that must be taken to get your company back on its feet as quickly as possible. Think about the worst possible scenario and the way to recover from that. Which systems must be restored first and what technology will be needed to do this?

Know Your Workflows

While you have the big picture of how your organization runs, you almost certainly don’t know each and every process everyone does. Have your employees document the processes and workflows they perform to complete tasks for the company. In case of something tragic, anybody can read the process document and preform an important task.

Decide Who is in Charge

Many people panic when disaster strikes. To make sure the panic doesn’t make things worse, put someone that has helped you create the plan in charge of carrying out your data recovery plan. This way you are available to reassure everyone and manage the company and you can be the strong leader your employees need in time of crisis.

Disaster can happen to anyone! So before it does, develop a good plan so that you know what to do. It will make both your employees and you feel more secure.

Happy Birthday to the Segway

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It wasn’t that long ago that inventor Dean Kamen thought his two-wheeled personal transportation device, the Segway, would revolutionize transportation.  Sadly, the Segway has grown to be synonymous with technology failure.  Kamen envisioned a future filled people zipping about on a Segway PT scooter to run errands and travel to work.

That vision hasn’t quite come to fruition and it’s pretty rare that you see someone utilizing a Segway. They are still around and have recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. So while they may be classified as a tech failure, they’re still alive and kicking.

How do they work though? Below we’ll take a look at the tech behind the Segway.

Powering the Segway

Each Segway PT is powered by electric motors that are, in turn, fueled by phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries. Segway owners can charge these batteries by plugging their Segways into common residential electrical sockets. The device doesn’t tip over thanks to its two computers loaded with proprietary software, pair of tilt sensors, and five gyroscopic sensors.

Making the Segway Move

The user plays the largest role in making the Segway move. Simply by shifting your weight in the direction you need to go and moving the handlebars slightly, the Segway’s sensors identify the change in balance point and react accordingly. The most recent version of the Segway has a top speed of 12.5 MPH. For obvious reason, it works best on flat surfaces.

Lowered Expectations

The device never did live up to its hype. Many technology professionals predicted the Segway PT would be a bigger deal than the Internet. Consequently, when company officials revealed the first Segway scooter in December of 2001 in Manhattan, expectations soared.

Of course, we all know what happened. The Segway looked odd, and people looked odd riding it. Which was enough to prevent the Segway from taking off as its promoters anticipated.