There’s a lot of technology out there today to aide our daily business and personal lives. But is it really necessary to own all of it? What proves useful and what is simply an unnecessary luxury? What technology is worth it’s weight in gold?

Tech gurus Ramon Ray, Editor of Small Biz Technology, and Brent Leary, Host of Business Technology Radio, outline the hottest trends in technology for your small business in 2008.

Together, Ramon and Brent explain which technology to spend your precious time and money on – and which technology is best to avoid.

Here is a sampling from this special edition:

• Where are we headed with wireless services? — Many are finding wireless services such as Bluetooth very useful. And we’re going to see many more wireless services such as dashboard printers, smartcards, hand held devices and data access devices in 2008.

• What is happening with the PC? — As Broadband increases, it’s possible that, at least for business, computers will become somewhat disposable in the future. As content is pushed off the hard drive and onto the Internet, we will come to rely less and less on a PC.

• What’s happening with software as a service? — Online data backup, blogging services and collaboration services are all in demand right now as many small businesses are finding them useful. We will surely be seeing more of these services in 2008.

• What about virtual phone systems? — Many of these services are perfect for small businesses with 10 or less employees. They are cost effective, easy to use, give a professional impression and offer a lot of flexibility with regards to services that are available. This market will increase in popularity with small businesses in 2008.

Ramon and Brent touch on many more technologies in this interview and share a wealth of insight and information. Unfamiliar with new technologies? Want to learn more about existing technologies? Then be sure to listen to Ramon and Brent by clicking the player below.

Listen Now:

 The Technology You NEED in 2008 (and the stuff to avoid) [50:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (2) | Permalink

JumpUp.com, sponsor of The Small Business Trends Radio Show, has been kind enough to share their community’s expertise and advice by providing this special JumpUp Tip segment titled “How to Win Customers Online.”

Kira Wampler, Marketing and Community Leader at Jumpup.com has recorded a number of quick “Tip of the Week” segments. All are 2 minutes or less in duration. Regular listeners of the Small Business Trends Radio program will recognize them from the show.

Want some tips on how to win customers online? Click the player below to hear Kira’s three tips — less than 2 minutes long.

Listen Now:

 Winning Customers Online - JumpUp Tip [1:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (1) | Permalink

VoIP – a term that, by now, I’m sure all of you have heard, or are hearing. And I’m sure you’ve asked yourself. . . what is VoIP?

For starters, VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. So now that you know what VoIP is you might ask, “How are businesses using it and what are the cost advantages of switching to VoIP?”

Ginny Hutchinson has joined us as our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio. As CMO of Speakeasy, Ginny sheds some light and takes the mystery out of this thing called VoIP.

Ginny provides detailed answers to these questions and more:

• How does it work? — It’s simple. It literally uses your Internet connection as opposed to a phone jack. All you need is an Internet based phone line.

• What’s the cost advantage? — Phone systems are expensive and some require an IT manager to oversee them. Real savings are seen in local, toll and long distance fees and most customers generally see a cost savings of 50%.

• How does the connection work? — It’s simple. Plug it into your internet jack and your ready to go. There are no interruptions when downloading, surfing online, etc. And a nice business advantage is that voice mails can be sent to others as email. Those who “need to know” can now be easily informed.

• How much does it cost? — Ginny provides some detailed figures during this interview for the features available. But the choice is yours based on your needs.

Ginny is proud of the rave reviews received by clients on Speakeasy’s services, quality and customer satisfaction. They’ve done so well that they have recently been acquired by Best Buy. So is VoIP right for you and your company? Listen to Ginny by clicking the player below to find out.

Listen Now:

 Internet Phone Calls - VoIP's Impact On Small Business [25:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (2) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the Blue Box Podcast.

Description: Dan York and Jonathan Zar once a week (roughly) get together to have a conversation about Voice-over-IP (VoIP) security.

Comments: Great sound, nice music, Dan and Jonathon tag team a big topic that is very relevant to small businesses today, VOIP security.

Each Podcast is about 45 minutes in length and they have been at it since October of 2005, there are over 70 Podcasts for your enjoyment. Here is a sampling of some recent topics they covered:

- VLAN Hopping, SIP Digest vulnerability, VoIP security hype, Skype security, Google’s latest moves
- Interview with ZFone and ZRTP creator Phil Zimmermann by Brenno de Winter
- Linksys SPA-941 vulnerability, SIP DDoS, New release of SIPVicious, Asterisk security roadmap
- SIP Security discussion with Cullen Jennings of IETF and Cisco

Yes this is a deep technology show, Dan and Jonathon discuss the very latest in VOIP technology and related security issues.

Pluses: Instant Play (My Favorite), RSS Feeds, extensive show notes, categories, good content and sound and an incredible amount of material is available.

Minuses: The 2 right sidebars are VERY busy and distract my eye from the left column content too much. I know there is value in the sidebars buy it is not easy to use. (IMHO)

Recommendation: If VOIP is important to you then you MUST add this long lived and content packed Podcast to your list of must listens. Check out the Blue Box Podcast today!

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (1) | Permalink

What do you do if your industry’s prices drop over 70% for new and existing customers? Do you panic, loose sleep and worry? Maybe so but that won’t provide solutions and there’s a much more positive approach to deal with such a situation.

And in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio, we are going to find out how one company not only survived - but grew - with positive cash flows and zero debt in an industry where prices had dropped over 70% in the past 7 years.

Zane Safrit has joined us as our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio. As CEO of Conference Calls Unlimited, Zane shares his personal story of taking a company that was facing certain doom out of the darkness and into the light.

Zane provides detailed answers to these questions and more:

• What do you do first? — That’s easy. You simply begin to eliminate expenses that do not contribute to ROI. Zane discusses the importance of business decisions such as this. They are personal as they impact your family, your life and your lifestyle. Do not take them lightly.

• What’s the most important thing? — Another easy answer. Great customer service is crucial. Zane discusses how his company gave it’s employees the authority to do whatever it takes to make the customer happy - without having to run it past management first.

• What is good customer service? — For starters, it’s something as simple as answering the phones. Automated systems, time spent waiting for email responses and waiting days for solutions to problems is not customer service. The value of a live human being providing immediate solutions, attention and assistance is priceless.

• How do you make an impression? — Consider the term, “Sounds crazy, but it just might work.” That saying applies here as Zane discusses something that his company began doing for new customers and referrals - that had a huge positive impact and response from clientele.

• What’s a company snitch program? — At Zane’s company, every month a meeting is held where employees and management snitch on each other for their accomplishments over the past month that may have gone unnoticed. Achievements such as assisting a customer and solving technical problems are outed and generate positive energy that radiates throughout the company and staff.

Zane’s company overcame the darkness by thinking outside the box and shifting perspectives. Zane says listening is a key to success - listen to employees, advice, industry trends and customers. Now listen to Zane and click the player below to hear his full interview.

Listen Now:

 In The Face of Certain Doom, One Company Finds Success [28:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (5) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the Hackoff.com Podcast

Description: An historic murder mystery set in the Internet bubble and rubble.

Comments: Author and former CEO Tom Evslin, like hackoff.com CEO Larry Lazard, founded a company-ITXC- which went public during the Internet bubble. Unlike Larry, Evslin lived to tell the story of those times.

This novel turned podcast takes you through the fun, games and hysteria of the turn of the century Internet bubble and blowup.

With all the best features of a true mystery novel, sexually charged players and of course technology, this novel set to podcast will pull you in and not let go.

The sound is great, the narration and character play terrific. Before you know it hours will have passed while you listen to the story. With 15 chapters each containing multiple episodes this story is well done. Here are just a few chapter titles for your enjoyment:

- The Beauty Contest
- Themepunks
- An Instance of Blinding Light
- Death Sucks

and so much more. There are terrific show notes and you can even purchase the printed edition or subscribe to the podcast or print edition.

Pluses: I love this whole idea of a relevant fictional story set in recent times, revolving around technology in both print and podcasted format (complete with stock charts). The site is great, the graphics are effective and the visitor choice is maximized. You can even bookmark your place if you stop part of the way through the story. I even learned a new term ‘Blooks’ blogs as books or books as blogs, whichever you prefer.

Minuses: Occasionally the sound is a little echoey but I can find no other fault with this great and creative podcast.

Recommendation: If you like great stories you need to try out the Hackoff.com Podcast.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (2) | Permalink

Can you believe it’s that time of year again? It’s time to think about how to say “thank you” to all of your business associates for all of their support throughout the year.

But how do you do that effectively? Wouldn’t it be nice to send a gift that also serves as a marketing tool and a reminder of your products and services throughout the year?

Lee Eldridge has joined us as our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio. As President of Absorbent, Ink, Lee will share tips on choosing your gifts, when to deliver your gifts, creating a buzz and how a useful item generates more impressions.

Here is a sampling of topics discussed during this show:

• Focus on — the recipient of the gift rather than your particular industry. If the recipient of your gift finds it useful, practical and thoughtful - chances are it’ll make a lasting impression. Your gift doesn’t have to be one of your products or services or an industry related product or service.

• Different gifts — for different people. Your employees may not find the gift that you gave management or your customers useful or thoughtful. Your relationship with the recipient should guide the gift selection.

• Useful gifts — such as sports bottles, coolers and barbecue sets are a popular choice with small businesses and make the biggest impact on the recipient. These items prove useful and, as a result, the recipient will think of you during those times of use.

Want to hear more about Corporate Holiday gift giving? Click the player below to listen to Lee’s full interview.

Listen Now:

 How To Maximize Your Corporate Christmas Gifts Impact [24:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (4) | Permalink