Category: Small Biz Go Mobile

Step your Team Collaboration up With Flowr

by BrothaTech

If your business involves working with a group of people remotely in different locations/parts of the world on a regular basis, collaboration may be the one aspect that gives you the most issues. The back-and-forth emails are simply not “cutting the mustard”. So if you’re looking for a more uniform way to work with your group, the Flowr web-based collaboration service may give you the tools you need to effectively communicate with your team and keep everyone in sync.

Flowr is indeed web-based, so there is no need for you or your team to worry about system requirements (have network access, will travel). With Flowr, you can share files, exchange ideas, ask questions, post tasks and collaborate with your team in a private and secure network that you and up to four colleagues can use for free with 100mb of space. to work with.

Communications between team members show up in the main screen like wall posts on Facebook. Adding links, sharing files, and addressing message to particular members is reminiscent of how you handle these same tasks on other popular social networking sites. In other word

s, the learning curve is shallow if not non-existent. The updates are real-time, and you can add tags to updates for easy reference later. Additional features include:

  • Team profiles/group directory
  • Upcoming event tracking
  • Custom Flowr themes
  • Sharing rights to specify recipients
  • Bookmarklet for easy sharing web content
  • Built- in analytics

If you already depend on Google Apps for a huge chunk of your teams communications/organization, Flowr can integrate with your account the popular Google Calendar/Google Docs services so you can keep your scheduling and documents at home while using Flowr to organize it all.

Finally, Flowr offers an iOS and Android app, in addition to a mobile-friendly HTML5 site for access from all other mobile platforms to get your “collab on” while on the go.

Flowr is free for up to five members and 100mb of storage space, while the Premium plan is $60/month but adds up to 15 users, additional features, and priority support. So stop the uber-long and hard to search email threads and check out Flowr for your team collaboration needs.

WriteThat.Name App Helps You Keep Your Contact List in Check

by BrothaTech

You can almost bet that when people change their email address, phone number, or other pertinent contact information, they may not send out a mass email to EVERYONE in their contact list instructing them to update the changes, but you better believe they update their outgoing email signature. An email signature (if done correctly) should tell the recipient of the message everything they need to know to get in contact with you to respond to your message, in addition to leaving your mark/brand on every piece of information that leaves your possession.

On the other hand, your contact list may not reflect the most recent contact information about the people you correspond with and if left unchecked for too long, can leave you scratching your head when it comes to retrieving that important phone number, email, or web address LONG after the emails have stopped and been purged from your inbox. That’s where this cool little web app called WriteThat.Name comes in and checks your contact list’s information against the information found in a correspondent’s email signature.

It works like this – Every time you receive an email from a person, WriteThat.Name checks their email signature for contact information can compares it against the information you have in your contact list (That is, if you bothered to add them to your contact list in the first place). Once you sign up, login and connect your email account, you’re ready to allow the service to check your email messages. WriteThat.Name currently only works with Gmail or Google Apps contact lists.

The service is pretty simple and the only major setting you have to adjust is whether or not to allow WriteThat.Name automatically change your contact list as soon as it finds a conflict, or to notify you if there is a change. If you choose to turn off the Auto-update, you will have to manually make the changes yourself. I say if your contact list is already out of whack, why not let WriteThat.Name have a crack at it?

The service is free for the first month, after that you have the choice of getting billed $3 monthly, or opting for a discount and getting billing out of way yearly for $20. Drop us a line in the comments section if you would pay for a service like this, or if you’re as anal-retentive like me, and keep your contact’s list lean and mean?

The Good News Is That Most Small Businesses are Hiring!

by Shy Mukerjee

If you’ve never heard of Manta before, then allow me to bring you up to speed. Manta provides a site for small business owners to ‘claim’ their business listing online and establish a basic online presence for free. For business owners unable to produce or fund a full-fledged website, Manta provides an easy way to get online. It’s no fly-by-night operation either: according to comScore, Manta is the 3rd largest small business info site. An additional service, Manta Connect, allows business owners to network, and ask each other questions in an active forum of like-minded professionals. With almost half a million business owners already on Manta, the site is quickly making a name for itself as a destination for small business owners.

Because Manta has an active community of small business owners, they have a unique ability to be able to survey their users about trends within the industry. Their March survey, the results of which we recently released, asked 1,016 small business owners—892 of whom have fewer than 10 employees—about hiring trends and practices. The good news? Small businesses are hiring! Read More

Meetings suck! Use these 2 tools to help your meetings be productive!

by Mario Armstrong

Meetings when done poorly are a total waste of time, non-productive and can be demoralizing to employees.  I can’t fix how you run your meetings BUT I can share with you 2 technology tools that I think can help you be more productive in meetings and make it easier to schedule them.

#1. Make scheduling meetings painless & stop herding cows!
If you are like me I can’t stand when people send emails back and forth trying to tie down an agreed upon meeting time. This becomes incredibly non-productive when you have multiple parties that you are trying to schedule. People are way too busy for this and YOU don’t have time for this back and forth non-sense and neither does your admin staff. So, I use TimeBridge-it’s a free service that enables you to send 1 email with multiple times for people to choose and the software finds a time everyone can make! That’s it done! 1 email and your golden! And the mobile app is pretty awesome too with features like agenda review and the ability to notify the organizer right through the app if you may be a few minutes late. Not to mention this cuts down on the tremendous amount of email waste we all are consistently fighting.

#2. Visualize the meeting using Mind Mapping!

Once you have the meeting set, now is the time to figure out how you can get the most productivity out of it! Have you established clear objectives, did you send out the description and agenda in advance and have you asked people to bring any specific elements with them etc…?  Now that everyone is gathered the main challenge is capturing what transpires in the meeting and capturing it in a way that’s productive! I’m sorry but using a flip chart isn’t productive, using a whiteboard not better either, using Word is ok but flat and for these reasons that’s why I like to use Mind Manager. Now, maybe it’s because I’m a visual learner but this software enables you to capture meeting notes as it happens in a visual manner, this way it is very clear what took place, what the action items are and what’s more is that you can easily import your mind map into Word if you really want that doc. My favorite feature is that you can export the mind map into your presentation software Keynote (Mac) or Powerpoint (Windows) and it instantly begins to build out all of your slides in the proper order that the meeting happened – it’s unbelievable and a major time-saver. Literally moments after your meeting you can have a presentation ready to present – trying doing that on a whiteboard. FYI–Mac users there is a new release coming out June 23rd take a look at the new iPhone and iPad features they are releasing and here’s a video demo of how it works:

This is a community, so YOU tell US what you use to make meetings more productive. I’d love to see your tips and ideas in the comments!

Handle PDF Documents With Ease Using Stanza for the iPad

by Justin Alcon

PDF is the file format of choice for electronic documents.  It works on every major computing platform, it looks the same on everyone’s computer, and it even prints exactly the way you intended it. It’s no surprise that PDF is the most popular format choice for business documents around the world.  Like a good wine, the iPad pairs nicely with PDF as the perfect device for consuming documents (and iPhone works pretty well in a pinch). Usually, the PDF drill is simple: someone emails an important document for review, you open it from the email and can easily reply with feedback or forward it on to another party.  However, it’s not a perfect system – what about larger documents that are too big to email?  What if you have 10 or 20 documents to review? Do you want to send and/or open 20 emails?  Of course not.

Enter Stanz, the free eReader for iOS, which sets the standard for eReaders on Apple’s platform.  With Stanza installed, you can easily transfer documents between your computer and your iOS device.  Just drag and drop files into the document-sharing area of iTunes under the ‘apps’ menu and sync your mobile  It’s definitely the simplest way to get the PDF files and ebooks that you want or need in to your peripheral digital devices.

This has a couple great applications.  For instance, every day my wife (who does all of her work on an iPad) reviews a ton of contracts.  She can fit almost all of her work in her purse by using Stanza.  Not only can she easily review all of these documents, but she can annotate them right in the app.  The best part?  Since sharing via Twitter, Facebook, and email are built right in, when she has made her notes she can send out her changes directly from within this free app.

While the Kindle ads on TV are appealing, doing anything more than reading documents on it is difficult. Stanza takes full advantage of the iPad’s unique capabilities, allowing you to quickly and easily read, mark-up, and share PDF documents.  It’s one of those vital apps that boosts tablets and smartphones into daily-use, multipurpose devices.  If you’re interested in e-readers but already have an iPhone/iPad, I would definitely recommend giving Stanza a test-drive first.

NeoMedia Releases Barcode Marketing Best Practices White Paper

by BrothaTech

Mobile barcodes (the most common of which are QR Codes) are an easy way for small businesses to market to the ever-growing mobile consumer. They have their smartphones on them at all times and their ability to digest and react to content via their mobile device is growing at a staggering rate here in the U.S. So it makes sense for a small business to adopt some sort of mobile marketing campaign.

To use barcodes to reach out to the mobile consumer by just sticking a bunch of them on your flyers and business cards may not be the best way to gain the increased attention your business is looking for. In short, mobile barcode placement has to make sense, the code’s destination has to be optimized, and it should invoke a reaction or engagement from the person who scanned the code.

Now that’s just what I think mobile barcodes should do for your mobile marketing campaign. NeoMedia Technologies has released a June 2011 edition of its Mobile Barcode Best Practices that “offers detailed insight on how to create and manage your mobile barcode campaign to achieve maximum success.”

In the White Paper (that you have to scan the barcode in this post to access…clever) NeoMedia offers 11 useful tips that anybody looking to tap into the mobile marketing industry should adopt. And it’s not just for QR Codes either, whether you are using Microsoft Tags, Data Matrix or QR Codes, the NeoMedia barcode white paper does a nice job of giving an overview of how best to implement a solid barcode strategy to supplement your mobile marketing campaign regardless of what code you use.

Like I mentioned earlier, the clever folks over at NeoMedia have restricted access to the white paper to those who scan their QR Code to reveal the pin needed to view/download the document…And I’m not about to give it to you either, so you’re going to have to do some work for yourself:

1. Scan the barcode in this post using your favorite QR code reader, or download NeoMedia’s free NeoReader application here to reveal the pin number.

2. Visit the NeoMedia’s Mobile Barcode Best Practices website and scroll to the bottom to enter the pin from the code.

3. Download, enjoy, and make sure your business implements some of these tips to ensure you are getting the most out of your mobile marketing campaign.

    Look Out: HP TouchPad coming July 1st!

    by Shy Mukerjee

    Unfortunately for business owners trying to decide between Apple’s bestselling iPad, one of the many Android tablets now on the market, or RIM’s PlayBook, a strong new contender in the tablet market is about to arrive: HP’s TouchPad will be hitting store shelves on July 1st at $499 for the Wi-Fi only base model with 16GB of storage, or $599 for an upgraded 32GB.

    The TouchPad will be running the latest version of webOS, technology, which is what HP hopes will set it apart from the competition by offering a seamless multi-tasking experience, the Adobe Flash Player, and promises of tight-knit integration with the forthcoming Pre3 smartphone.

    Pre-orders for the device begin in a mere 10 days on June 19th, and you can check out HP’s press release and our previous coverage for more details. According to the press release, A 3G version through AT&T seems to be in the works as well.

    TripIt Travel App: Good – But the Best?

    by BrothaTech

    If your job, profession, or small business keeps you in different cities on the regular (or, if you’re just a jet-setter like that), the free TripIt app for iPhone/iPad, Android, BlackBerry or WP7 ($40/year for TripIt Pro) can be a valuable tool for laying out all of your traveling plans in one place, in addition to notifying you if your plans suddenly change. Whether you need to adjust your plans, or the hotel, airline, transit, etc. changes them for you, TripIt can keep you in the know when it comes to your complete travel plans. Some of the apps features include:

    • Viewing all of your itineraries in one location, even if your are offline
    • Put in an address or familiar location, and get maps and directions straight from your itinerary at the tap of a finger
    • Phone number links to airlines, hotels, restaurants and more, directly from your itinerary. Tap to call
    • View other TripIt users close to you via the TripIt Network

    Of course with any app (or anything for that matter), there are be some bugs, fixes, or just plain ol’ annoyances that if worked out, could make the experience awesome – TripIt is no exception. So my main man Rod over at Simple Mobile Review has outlined some of his suggestions on how to make TripIt the best travel app on market today.

    Read More: How To Improve TripIt: 8 Features For The Best Travel Companion App

    Apple ditches MobileMe, introduces iCloud at exciting price point: free

    by Shy Mukerjee

    Although Apple’s cloud services have been rumored for years, no real information has surfaced before today about exactly what to expect. But at their Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) today, Apple announced that they’re going cloud in a big way: starting this fall, MoibleMe (a paid service to synchronize your mail, contacts, and calendar) will be replaced by a new, free service called iCloud.

    What is iCloud? At a basic level, it’s a replacement for all of the services that MobileMe used to cover: iCloud provides free synchronization for your Mail, Calendars and Contacts through new applications that push your updates to any iOS devices you may own, including the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Similarly, App Store and iBookstore purchases are now automatically synchronized between multiple devices. What does that mean for you? Hassle-free work from the field, with the same calendar and mail set-up on your phone or tablet (provided those phones and tablets are the iPhone and iPad!)

    The real win for small business users comes in the form of document sync, however. Last week, Apple announced that their iWork suite of apps, including Pages, Numbers and Keynote, we’re being ported to work not just on the iPad but also the iPhone and iPod touch. These apps, for those who aren’t familiar, are Apple’s answers to Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, respectively.

    Today Apple is announcing that their iWork suite of apps will allow document sync through their iCloud service, with 5GB free storage for documents. While 5GB isn’t a huge amount of storage for music or pictures, it translates into thousands of documents sync’d seamlessly across your devices. For users on the go, this may finally make Apple’s iWork suite of software a viable alternative to Microsoft’s suite of desktop software or even Google Documents.

    A few other features of note: Apple is also announcing iBackup, a feature that securely backs up your iOS devices over Wi-Fi whenever you charge your devices. Not only are your apps, books, and music backed up, but also your device settings. This should make things easier for users upgrading from the iPad to the iPad 2, or from the iPhone 4 to whatever comes next from Apple. As well, it should relieve some stress from users worried about having to connect their iPad or iPhone to their computer via USB every time they want to manually backup their devices.

    Other things like photo sync and iTunes in the cloud offer services to sync your photographs and music between devices, and you can read the full details in Apple’s press release.

    iMessages for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch bring rich messaging experience to iOS 5

    by Shy Mukerjee

    Tons of exciting news coming from Apple today regarding their new version of their mobile operating system, iOS 5. One feature in particular that may interest our readers is iMessage, part of the new Message app that will come free with the new OS update.

    iMessage is something that should be familiar to BlackBerry phone users, as it brings to iOS features similar to BlackBerry Messenger. In addition to multimedia features like rich text and being able to send pictures to your contacts, iMessage is launching with an enterprise-ready feature set including:

    • Delivery receipts
    • Read receipts
    • Typing indication
    • Pushed to all devices (meaning you get the same messages on your iPad, iPhone and iPod touches, if you own multiple Apple devices)
    • Works over 3G and Wifi
    • Secure Encryption

    This last feature, secure messaging, is something users have long associated exclusively with the BlackBerry platform. That will soon be baked into iOS for all your devices is a huge, free upgrade for businesses that have already transitioned to the iPhone for their employees.

    The news keeps rolling in, so stay tuned to this space to find out what else is changing on mobile from Apple, and be sure to check out Apple’s overview of new features coming to iOS 5.