Category: Small Biz Go Mobile

Get Your Mobile Payments Squared Up

by BrothaTech

Allow me to paint a picture.  You’ve got a hot product (at least you think it’s hot) that you want to sell at your local festival, expo, or event.  You know you’re going to get those “I only carry plastic with me” folks that want your product, but are not willing to go hunt down an ATM and pay a ba-jillion dollars in ATM fees.  Now you’ve just started and may not have the credit history to be extended a merchant account (or have no clue what a merchant account is) and you don’t have the funds to buy a credit card machine. Let’s be honest, you really don’t want to bother with messing around with the receipt paper that ALWAYS gets stuck in those machines either!

Enter Square, a mobile credit card system that allows users to accept credit card payments anywhere without a merchant account using your mobile device.  Imagine how smooth a transaction would go if you could just whip out your mobile device, and swipe your customer’s credit card and email them a receipt?  With Square you can do just that.

Whether it’s an iPhone, iPod Touch iPad, or Android mobile device (sorry BlackBerry folks), you can use Square’s mobile card reader that’s about the size of a tic-tac container that plugs into your device’s headphone port and allows you to accept credit cards as payments.

You don’t need the reader or merchant account to accept credit card payments, simply download the app from your smart phone’s respective app store, link a bank account and you’re set.  It would behoove you to go ahead and apply for the reader, because the fees associated with swiping a card versus manual input are cheaper, I mean, more monetarily advantageous.

Speaking of fees, although you don’t need a merchant account, there are no setup fees, fees for the mobile reader, monthly charges, or contract required (crazy right?).  All Square asks of you is a 2.75% + 15 cents per swiped charge and 3.5% + 15 cents per manual card input per transaction.  Which, I might add, is lower than most merchant account fees per transaction

Again, imagine how smooth your credit card transactions would go, and how cool you would look doing them if you were using Square.

For more information, and how to get signed up, visit squareup.com Or watch the video below:

New Microsoft Office 2010 goes mobile for FREE!

by Mario Armstrong

Microsoft goes mobile with Office 2010! Will it give you the productivity you need while on-the-go? This week Microsoft has finalized their release of the new Office 2010. While most reviews are covering the differences of the previous desktop version (here’s Walt Mossberg’s look at Office 2010) many are overlooking the availability to have Office 2010 on your mobile device.

In todays hyper-competitive, real-time environment your “office” must be wherever you are located! If you want to realize growth in your business you have to embrace being mobile & not the typical 20% phone feature usage – the 80% growth in mobile is identifying the right apps that will make you more productive. In my presentations I often say “In business a smartphone is only as good as the apps you run on it” otherwise it may as well be a doorstop! Don’t underestimate the mobile growth, in 2013 there will be close to 900 million worldwide mobile internet users (according to IDC, Worldwide Digital Marketplace Model and Forecast, December 2009)

This brings me back to Microsoft Office 2010! In my opinion, Microsoft has made a very smart move in offering the mobile version FREE with any Windows Mobile phones that has version 6.5 or above! Office 2010 for mobile includes Word Mobile 2010, Excel Mobile 2010, PowerPoint Mobile 2010, OneNote Mobile 2010, and SharePoint Workspace Mobile 2010. Outlook Mobile 2010 comes pre-installed on Windows phones and is the default e-mail service.

I will test out the apps for a post in the next week or two and give you a more detailed review about performance, features and limitations etc. Until then, if you are upgrading to a new Windows Mobile phone version 6.5 or higher make sure you are taking advantage of the Office 2010 mobile applications and increase your productivity while on the go!

What mobile “office-like” apps are you using? Tell us in the comments so we can make sure we review them for our readers!

What We’ve Been Reading This Week [Weekly Roundup]

by Song

We weren’t surprised by the pop star that topped this 100 most creative people in business 2010 list. [via Fast Company]

We learned how to stop oversharing and avoid being a dork on Twitter.

Want to hire an app developer? TheyMakeApps is a great place to start. We found our friends Mindgrub Technologies on there.

We’re geeking out over Google’s upcoming Chrome operating system. It supposedly will offer remote desktop through a web browser, meaning access to heavy duty applications for things like video editing or photoshop work on our home computer through a browser on a lightweight portable netbook.

A lot of headaches with printers will go away if this HP “ePrint” ability to email documents to a printer works.

Could your small business use a makeover? Check out this list of competitions. [via SmallBusinessTrends]

Here’s a great primer on using Google Apps for your business. [via Inc.]

We’ve got some fresh new iPad backgrounds thanks to this collection of 35 high definition iPad Wallpapers. [via DevSnippets]

Saving News Articles to Read Later with NewsRack [Appsauce]

by Song

As someone who uses their iPad primarily to keep on top of breaking news, trends, and analysis, there is no App that I’m spending more time with than NewsRack. It’s an RSS (really simple syndication) reader that allows you to keep track of updates from your favorite websites without having to visit individual sites.It synchs with an existing Google Reader account and has full integration with other apps and services allowing you to share stories through Google Reader, email, Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, etc.

I’ve got over 100+ subscriptions to feeds covering business, startups, entrepreneurship, technology, the media industry, culture, social media, and my neighborhood. Sure, Google has developed an optimized version of the Google Reader site for the iPad, but this app allows me to synch my articles and read them even when I don’t have an internet connection. It’s not a perfect app. Sometimes it does not appear to synch 100% accurately with Google Reader leaving articles that have been removed from Google on NewsRack. In comparison to Reeder, another RSS app that will be covered in the future, it downloads rather sluggishly. However, NewsRack provides a simple, clean layout that makes it easy to organize and scan large amounts of subscriptions. It’s especially ideal for an early morning commuter without access to a cellular or wifi signal on their iPad.

As of this moment, this is my favorite app for handling RSS. What’s yours?

Download app: NewsRack at iTunes Store

Available on: iPad, iPhone

Cost: $4.99

The Cloud—What is it & How can it help you?

by Jean Westcott

Everyone is talking about ‘The Cloud’ or ‘Cloud Computing’. Basically, Cloud Computing is the movement from site-specific data storage to storage that is held in the Cloud of the internet. Instead of your personal or business data being stored on your computer or computer network, it is moved to a shared resource accessible via the internet and not tied to your own resources.

The old model of sending your information back and forth from your computer server to another is replaced by centralized storage by a provider such as Google, Apple or Microsoft (or the many smaller or more specialized service providers) which is accessible by you or your partners wherever you have internet access.

The obvious benefits are:

1. Savings on the cost of owning and maintaining computer servers

2. Reduced risk of data loss due to local emergencies

3. The ability to use a wider range of devices such as smartphones that don’t have large memory resources

4. Access to your data no longer requires you to have access to your company’s network or personal computer

5. Shared programs will save on software purchases with more and more applications being designed for a cloud-based future

There are other factors to keep in mind, however:

1. Be sure you are working with a trusted provider. In all cases, your reputation, your business and your financial well-being is tied up with your company’s information. Make sure that there are controls to allow for only secure access to your data; protecting it from all unauthorized access.

2. Make sure there is redundant storage so that if there is a catastrophic data loss at one location that there is a backup of all files.

3. Ensure that if the company you choose to work with has a continuity of operations plan if they decide to no longer provide the services you have contracted for.

4. Don’t neglect backup routines for the data not stored in the cloud. You will still need to budget for maintenance of your IT resources.

5. Cloud-based software may not be as robust as the full-blown software suites.

Many of us already have been living in the clouds with our internet based email accounts or photo sharing sites for years. The Cloud is no longer science fiction—it is rapidly becoming the new model.

Are you using cloud-services? If so which ones, share them in the comments!

Tech Smarts–Keeping up with (and ahead of) your competition

by Jean Westcott

Running a small business is a lifestyle not a job. Keeping up on industry trends, making new connections and maintaining relationships are key components in your success in addition to the actual running of the day-to-day operations. Now, add in the rapid changes in the technology arena and it is easy to see how we often feel overwhelmed and behind the curve. Here is some general advice on how to keep your tech literacy up-to-date:

1. Determine what you know and what you don’t know. Congratulate yourself on the former and make a plan to correct the latter. If you feel particularly weak or lost on a certain topic—it probably means that you know that others have outpaced you. Leave the stress behind by coming up with a plan to fill in the blanks of your knowledge.

2. Weigh your options. Think about how you learn best. There are lots of great resources out there for all type of learners—books, in-person training, on-line tutorials, college coursework, library seminars, asking for the help of a trusted colleague, paid consultants or even self-instruction by reading articles on the internet.

3. Keep up-to-date by reading your industry-relevant publications and attending meetings. Newsletters and trade magazines cover technology by presenting specific examples of applications in your field and meetings will help you connect with others and see how they are using tech to compete in the same market as you.

4. Talk to your colleagues and ask questions. Most people love to talk about their new gadgets or skills. Thank them for their time and insights, knowing that they are sharing their valuable information.

What tips do you have that have worked for you? Please share them in the comments!

What We’ve Been Reading This Week [Weekly Roundup]

by Song

Sure, here are 10 Things Android Does Better Than iPhone OS, but this only applies until the next iPhone arrives. [via Gizmodo]

Looking for office space? 4 things to consider since real estate is typically the second or third largest fixed expense after payroll [via VentureBeat]

“Don’t get you started on booth babes?” Don’t get us started. How to Boost Traffic at Your Trade Show Booth [via Inc.]

Some proven strategies for multiplying profits [via Entrepreneuer]

Sometimes doing less is doing more. Here are ways to be more effective AND get over your email addiction [via Dumb Little Man]

Here’s a great guide on publishing digital content from Razorfish. [via PSFK]

Ever wanted to build a simple, attractive personal web page that collects all of your online presences? Now you can with Flavors.me [via Mashable]

Recycle the Rolodex and Can the CardScanner with These Business Card Apps [AppSauce]

by Song

Have you ever come back from a conference or a networking event with a stack of business cards and toiled away entering the info into your address book, or maybe more likely, threw them in a drawer? I’m here to tell you that there’s an easier way!  Here are two apps that work using your smartphone’s camera to automatically pull information like name, address, phone numbers, email, and website.

CamCard Lite. The program struggled to recognize business cards until I moved the card and phone right underneath my desk lamp, but worked otherwise ok in the living room by a large window. The results weren’t exactly accurate as you can see by the following images. Not a single field of information populated 100% accurate, although using an app like this would still beat typing in all of that information into my address book manually.

Google Googles This was debuted in December of 2009 and isn’t only a business card scanning app, but it works fantastically well as one. You can use it to take pictures of nearly anything: logos, barcodes on things like books and DVDs, landmarks, and the app will attempt to gather more info. It didn’t have the same struggle that CamCard Lite did in my dimly light office since it triggered the flash on my smartphone. The results on the same business card were also 100% accurate as you can see in this picture!

Although I was surprised by how effective CamCard Lite was initially, once I tried Google Googles the victor in the battle for dominant business card scanning mobile app was decidedly clear. Hail to the Chief of search!

Download app: Google Googles

Available on: Android, coming soon to iPhone

Cost: free


CamCard Lite

Download app: search “CamCard Lite” in Android Marketplace
Available on: Android

Cost: free

Don’t hand me your card – BUMP it! (Happy Hour Friday)

by Mario Armstrong

Every Friday we review a FREE mobile app that you can use right away to help you biz grow–we call it Happy Hour Friday). This week I want you to take a look at a FREE mobile app called BUMP! This app enables you to quickly and accurately exchange biz cards with people. The BUMP app can work on the iPhone, iTouch and on Android phones like the Motorola Backflip.

Here are the steps to making it work easy for you:
1. Install the FREE BUMP application on your mobile (both phones must have the app to exchange info)
2. When you are ready to exchange info, simply launch the app and then bump the 2 phones together
3. The app will accept the info and ask you to confirm that you want to receive it
4. The info will now appear in your contacts!

I’ve used BUMP quite a bit and love its ease of use! It’s the new way of quickly & accurately capturing contact info. However I do miss the good ‘ol days of whipping out the PalmPilot and exchanging contact info by a beaming infared light – that was so 90’s :-)

Here’s a short video of BUMP in action, take a peek:

BUMP has been downloaded by 80+ million people so it is has some significant penetration. Ask around, I bet some of your colleagues, peers, customers have the BUMP app on their phones. Why not get it on yours???

Read more about BUMP: http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/03/08/bump-10-million/

Download app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bump/id305479724?mt=8
Available on: iPhone, iTouch, Android phones
Cost: FREE

Air Display Turns iPad into External Touch Screen Monitor [AppSauce]

by Song

If you were looking for another reason to justify getting an iPad, well I’ve got one for you. Thanks to Avatron Software, there’s an app that will turn your iPad into a secondary monitor. They weren’t the first software developer to this party and the app isn’t perfect, but Air Display is a fantastic way to extend your Macbook’s screen estate by up to 70%. That’s right, currently the app is only available for use with Apple computers, although you can sign up to be notified about a Windows version [notify-ad-win@avatron.com].

The software is a breeze to set up and use. Once you’ve installed the program on your computer and iPad, you turn on AirDisplay  on you computer, select your iPad, and open the app on the iPad. Your iPad doesn’t need to be connected to your computer by USB, but your computer and iPad should be on the same wi-fi network. The iPad retains its touch screen functionality, but you’re not going to have multi-touch gestures like pinching to zoom since your touch behaves like a mouse click.

It’s not perfect, there is a little bit of lag when moving windows from your computer to the iPad, and watching a video on YouTube on the iPad produces a little bit of lag. This app is probably perfect for you if you’re the type of person that has a million applications, spreadsheets, chat sessions, stock tickers, Twitter applications,  browser windows, etc. open at any time, which is probably most of us. If you travel with both a MacBook and an iPad it’s a pretty useful app to have and a great way to repurpose your iPad if you don’t have an external monitor.

Download app: http://avatron.com/apps/air-display/

Available on: iPad, currently for use with Mac only

Cost: 9.99