Whether you love Microsoft or hate them, one thing is for certain: when the big “M” makes a move, the computer and high tech industry takes notice. With that in mind, Microsoft’s latest move is toward mobile cell phone advertising, an area that has been unable to find its feet so far, due to consumer resentment of being presented with ads on cell phones.
Microsoft’s new mobile advertising program is called Zumobi, and the company is sinking big money into this alternative advertising format. Investing heavily in the (yet to turn a profit) field of mobile advertising would be seen as a monumental risk for most companies. But Microsoft, being the mammoth software company they are, can easily afford to take a few risks, so Zumobi is not quite the “do or die” situation for them that it would be for most other high-tech companies.
Cell phone advertising is seen as risky for a few reasons. Chief among these is the perception by cell phone users that advertising is an intrusion of their mobile experience and privacy. Other companies have tried placing ads sporadically on cell phone networks with very little success. So what makes Microsoft think that Zumobi can succeed where so many others have failed?
The biggest difference between Zumobi and previous cell phone ads are that Zumobi ads do not look or function like conventional advertising. Zumobi uses a special interface design that presents “tiles” that users can choose to click on to access online stores such as Amazon.com.
Microsoft’s approach appears to be much less intrusive than previous attempts at cell phone advertising, and may have the greatest chance yet of succeeding. Another huge difference is that consumers will have the chance to choose which Zumobi “tile” applications they would like to have on their phone. This freedom of choice, and the intuitive, non-intrusive way that Zumobi works makes it feel less like advertising, and more like a free bonus extra to help consumers locate and find products online.
For example, Zumobi’s Amazon.com “tile” allows users to easily search for books, music or DVDs within the Amazon store from a convenient cell phone optimized interface. These types of applications have proven to be more “consumer friendly” than standard “in your face” advertising.
But with Microsoft dominating so much of our online life (nearly 90% of computers worldwide use Windows for example), do we really need the company dominating our cell phones as well? Many Microsoft critics think the company is too big already, and resent the excursion into cell phone ads.
But the real success or failure of Zumobi will be measured by its usefulness to consumers, and its ability to contribute to sales for advertisers. It will take a very clever interface to remain non-intrusive to cell phone users, and still be a worthwhile sales tool for advertisers. Can Microsoft pull this off? With Zumobi officially launching early in 2008, we will find out very soon.
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Whether we like it or not, hiring the best talents in the US is very, very expensive. This truth is not very encouraging for start-up companies or small scale businesses. That’s why outsourcing is very attractive for small business owners since they have to get the best with the lowest rate possible.
But there are dangers in outsourcing. For one, you can’t really see who you are working with and they are hundred of miles away from you. It’s not uncommon that they ask for an upfront fee and disappear like a puff of smoke. If such things happen, you can’t just go there or sue them as they are out of the US jurisdiction. Here are some tips to get the best out of outsourcing while preventing the worst from happening.
1. Go to professional freelance hiring websites – elance.com, getafreelancer.com and guru.com are some of the websites that offer listing of available jobs. These websites are constantly monitored by freelance software developers in different countries. So anytime you list a job request online, you will get a number of offers you anticipate. More often than not, these are legitimate companies or freelancers who will be ruined if you give out a bad word about them. Since you don’t have anything to pin on them, only the word of mouth will actually make them perform.
2. More listings - remember that these websites could have so many responses than you anticipate. That’s good. You don’t want to find yourself choosing between two companies, but rather want to have a large pool of candidates. It takes a little time, but this way you can slowly weed out what you like and you don’t like.
3. NDA – “NDA” stands for Non-Disclosure Agreement. This document will state what you asked them to work on, and by signing an NDA, they will not distribute your content or give access to your project to others without your explicit permission. Again, as a small business you really don’t have any control over what they do about your project, but this document could somehow tell the developers offshore to back away from using what they have done for you. This is a legal document so it takes a little bit of legal terms to make this document legitimate. There are lots of websites that offer free templates so you don’t need to have an attorney to draft them.
4. Negotiate – like any business transaction, negotiate. Offshore businesses could offer something really affordable. If that’s really good for you, don’t say yes immediately. Ask for additional perks for future businesses or additional support for your current software. That way, they will receive the same compensation but giving enough support for your business. It’s a win-win situation since they will have a client and you will have a reliable provider.
You can add more such as bidding, interviews and other tactics. But these four will get you the developer that you want more easily and at a better rate.
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Next year will be another year of opportunity, triumph, disappointments and taxes. IRS will not be running after you until April but its always good practice to start on your tax filing early in the year so you don’t have to scram for all the things that you did before the deadline.
Lucky for our generation, we don’t have to run around the city just to get our taxes updated nor do we have to take a look at extensive lists of things we have done just to make sure our taxes are filed right. There are softwares and online tools that will help us with these problems in no time. If we are diligent enough to update our individual taxes online or in the software, these things will practically work on their own.
Here are the two of the tools (one online tool, and the other software) that you could consider for you, your family or business.
TurboTax is an online software that will let you create a tax profile for free and even file taxes for free as it is connected to the government’s e-filing institution. An easier to understand interface is now being developed into a full blown support system for those who are confused with their taxes. When this program will be re-launched for the next fiscal year, it will feature a support system among the users. Get all the answers that you need from other filers. Additional features include the so called “Audit Risk Meter.” With this tool, don’t even think of filing false claims as this tool will tell you point blank you are doing something wrong. An accountant now sounded better but don’t be disheartened. The online tool now comes with the Deductibles so you can see the things that can be deducted or even refunded to you. Basically this software will praise you for the good things you did but will whip you for the slight miscalculation. Price is expected to be the same for home and business although most of the services come in free.
An another application called TaxCut should be considered when you are seriously running more than just a household. There are only two basic differences with TaxCut to TurboTax. First, TaxCut is an application so it’s going to be always there in your desktop while TurboTax is an online application. The next difference is its ability to handle bigger and varying concerns. This is shown especially in their H&R block, a tool dedicated for bigger companies. TaxCut doesn’t and won’t come in as free but there’s a reason. Instead of using peer-to-peer function to answer all your concerns about tax codes and all the tax gibberish, your problems could be answered by tax professionals over the phone. This service is offered for companies who use the H&R feature of the application.
If you’re only an individual or a small family, you could always use the online application TurboTax. But if you’re dealing with so many individuals in the company, TaxCut will do more than just update your information but give you advice on how to properly file your taxes.
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The job market these days is quite fluid. Advancements in technology mean that jobs that are hot today could disappear tomorrow, and jobs you haven’t even heard of could be the next big thing. With that in mind, Reuters is reporting on a variety of tech-related jobs which are emerging even as we speak (or type).
Most of these “jobs of the future,” make use of Web 2.0 sites, tools and information. And although they are not well known today, some of these positions are likely to be very much in demand over the next few years. Here are just a few projected future jobs to ponder:
Social Media Specialist — professionals who work in this position will specialize in converting short and interesting media of various types into attention-getting online content uploaded to Web 2.0 sites such as Youtube Myspace and Facebook.
The outlook for social media specialists is increasingly good, and projections show that social networking will continue to be hot through the next five to seven years, though it is likely that the technology and web site layouts will change significantly. Professionals who work in this field will need to be lifelong learners who are part multimedia content developer, part online marketer, and part audio and video content specialist.
Online Coach — this emerging Web 2.0 position will involve the use of video and audio conferencing, as well as instant messaging and other online communication to assist clients in learning and staying up-to-date on Internet technology and mobile communications.
Online coaches will also be experienced with off-line PDA and smart phone technology, and have the ability to update clients by computer, phone or PDA.
Social Network Catalyst — workers in this field will educate, promote and nurture the growth of specific networks. Job tasks could vary greatly, with a few examples being, posting on message boards and online forums and scouring the net for interesting content to link with.
The social network catalyst will ideally be a real “people person,” who also happens to have a “geek like” fascination with all things Internet-related.
Gaps Consultant — a gaps consultant is an information specialist who gathers data relating to underdeveloped areas within Internet growth, including processes that are missing in networks. A gaps consultant could primarily be an instructional designer, online editor or researcher, or even a content writer or multimedia developer.
If most of these job descriptions sound unfamiliar to you, don’t worry; there are actually only a few people working within these specific fields full-time at the moment. But if Internet trends continue as many researchers project they will, it won’t be long before titles such as Social Network Catalyst become as common as Certified Public Accountant. See you in the future!
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If you’re thinking of going on a jewelry business, congratulations. I said congratulations since this type of business is one of the easiest businesses to run today. When you retail jewelries, you’re practically buying and selling except that the mark-up price is really high. So with proper preparation, you can reach ROI in no time. Wholesalers also profit in this type of industry since the demand will always be there. Jewelry is a good way to commemorate celebration or personal triumph. If you’ve been in the industry for at least a year, you’ll realize that jewelries are truly the girl’s best friend. Even if you’re a man, you’ll realize this. Just look at the glow of your special someone if you give them jewelries.
Jewelry business is easy, no doubt about it. However, this business is also very risky when it comes to losses. There are jewelries that could cost you more than US$5,000 a piece only to find out no one is interested in your product. Handling is always a concern especially when you’re ordering it from outside the country.
But the good thing about jewelries is they never fade. Quality jewelries will stay forever and their market value doesn’t go down. Although the appraisal of the jewelry increases only in little amount, the accumulation of all the increase makes it worth it. You might find yourself near starvation because no one buys, but if you hold on to your jewelry long enough, someone will eventually purchase the jewelry , and you’re back to business before you know it.
Yet there’s an unfortunate side about the jewelry business. Not everyone is born with the natural ability to sell things even though their customers won’t need it. If you take a look at the jewelries, they are almost the same as “want” things. Jewelries don’t really have any practical use except for getting you look better. There are people who know the jewelry’s property, weight and beauty inside and out, but they can’t sell jewelries even with all the struggle and effort to obtain all this knowledge. There are people however, who have skills in selling jewelries. They usually have confidence like no other as they can suggest one diamond or jewelry after another.
If you’re thinking of starting the business with all the selling techniques you know and confidence that you have, it’s now time to look for suppliers. If you’re going for a local supplier be sure to check out the price first online. Some business owners opt to go online as they can go for a wider selection and even with better prices. Before you even shop out of the country, be sure to create contacts locally. It’s even important to hire a gemologist so that they can help you authenticate the jewelries they are selling. As much as possible start with well known wholesalers. Usually they will charge higher, but with their reputation, you’ll certainly have what is written. Always do your homework and research about a company if you want to be in transaction with them.
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