New workers, new language

How often do you wish you had some of the advantages of a larger business or a big corporation?

A dedicated HR department, a marketing staff, IT experts at the ready? Thanks to crowdsourcing, you can. Leveraging the availability of a small army of experts around the world in every area and the technology of cloud computing, companies are bringing this expertise to bear for every small business with a laptop and an internet connection.

It's another form of outsourcing, freelancing or permalancing - the new way to work and to staff our businesses that is developing a growing following. So here are some terms to learn:

Crowdsourcing: Bringing a group of experts from all over the world together to perform a set of tasks via an internet aggregator. Some examples:

-- myGengo is a distributed network of translators. Need a white paper translated into Mandarin? Submit it to the website for an instant quote and wake up to a translated document.

-- GetSatisfaction is a customer-service platform that integrates to everything from an iphone to a company website and allows users of a product or service to provide customer support for others with questions.

-- Experts Exchange is a collective resource for technology support. You can go there to look for answers to a question or post a specific question on technologies ranging from desktop support to high-end programming. If you are a technologist, you can sign up to be an expert and have a list of open issues in your area of expertise emailed to you daily. The more you resolve, the more points you get. Points allow you to create your own "site" on the ExpertsExchange site and develop customer relationships, which in theory can translate into business.

Freelancing: The term freelancing was coined in medieval times to identify mercenaries who would sell their services to any realm. Thus they were free - lancers. The term is used widely to describe people who have solo businesses although most often to those in design and communication. The idea - and the law - behind freelancing is that the expert is free to accept or decline any position. They use their own equipment, they work on their own time, they do things their own way.

Contractors: Long-term hires, usually through an agency. Contractors are usually not entitled to benefits but may work at the company, using company equipment and interacting - even managing - company employees. Typically they are hired on a project basis for a limited term. But that term can be several years, depending on the project's completion timeline.

Permalancing: Now a new term is starting to be heard that describes a new way of working. Permalancing describes what is happening in larger companies across the country. Freelancers are being utilized to do tasks once associated with permanent staff - bookkeeping, customer service, marketing, communications, etc. In most cases, the definition of a permalancer is someone who falls somewhere between temporary employee and staffer.

The challenge is in not blurring the line that delineates the difference between freelancer and employee.

If outsourcing, permalancing and freelancing for corporations and larger businesses continues, laws may be changed to recognize that a new way to work is emerging. For companies the advantage is in a pay-as-you-go model that is even more attractive now when so many top-notch people are marketing their services. For the free- or perma-lancer, it's the opportunity to control their own work life, to do things that interest them, to fit work into their life rather than life into their work.

What will your company do to staff up? Participate in a quick poll. No contact information is required.

Is the day of the full-time employee over? Probably not, but outsourcing - not to cheap foreign labor - but to local experts who are starting small consultancies or freelance shops in your area is a new way to work and get things done. It is bubbling up and its doubtful employers will put a cap on this new type of workforce. For small businesses, it levels the playing field and increases competitiveness without having to grow payroll. The genie is out of the bottle.

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Portfolio is a solution provider for small businesses offering expertise from freelance affiliates in communication, technology integration, and software/productivity training. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter or call us for a free consultation at 864-213-6314.

Take a screenshot on the iPhone or iPad

iPhone/iPad tip: Ever want to take a screenshot of something on your device? Hold down the Home key and press the power button at the top of the device. The screen will flash and your screenshot will be saved in your photo gallery. If you have a printing program, you can print from that. Or if you're doing presentation on iPad, you can pull it into your Keynote file or Pages doc.

Three things that make Apple different

A few years ago, frustrated with all the time I spent fixing my computers and all the money I spent on new utilities to make them work, I bought an iMac.

I was equally surprised and thrilled to realize that the hype was really true. They actually do just work. Next, I bought a MacBook and a Time Machine/router. Not only did they work; they worked together. I added Mobile Me and synced everything seamlessly and without intervention.

But it wasn't until I bought the iPhone two years ago, that I went from being a very happy user to a convert. Today, I played golf with a gentleman who was learning his way around his first iPhone. "I always said I never wanted an iPhone," he said, "and I've had this for two days and it has changed my life." I completely understand that.

The iPhone changed everything for me. As a technology executive who was also in charge of cell phones for a 500-person business, I was able to consistently replace my cell phone with whatever was new and then roll down my phone to another employee. This was good because no matter how cool they seemed at first, within a few months their warts had been revealed and I was on the march for something better.

The iPhone has never disappointed. Consistently, I find new ways to make my personal and work life easier, more efficient, and - yes - more fun. And, again, they just work.

Adding the iPad this week, I now have an entire Apple orchard in my house and my work.

To me there are three factors that make Apple stand out among so many competitors.

-- People want to use their products. It's not work to work. Go to the Apple store. It is a modern, connected digital nirvana. The associate had a card swipe attachment and a proprietary app on his iPhone. When it came time to check out with my new iPad, he swiped my card on his phone there, emailed my receipt and applied my Apple Care plan to my existing Apple account. It was easy, smooth, efficient and it showed what the technology can do. Our businesses should all be this inviting and look this efficient to our customers.

-- And let's consider customer service. You can argue about the controversy surrounding the Apple antenna issue. But so often companies are quick to make statements, but slow to make amends. Last week, Apple announced they would provide the "bumpers" to all iPhone owners to correct the antenna problem. And, if you happened to have already bought one (like me), you would get a refund. 'How long is that going to take,' I wondered, 'and what kind of paperwork will I have to file?' I spent 30 minutes hunting up my receipts and emails so I would have everything all together. I need not have worried.  Today (one week after the announcement), I received an email from Apple that they had refunded the charge for my bumper. It was already in my bank. That's follow-through we could all strive for in our businesses.

-- Finally, they innovate. There were certainly Apple products that were sub par - the blueberry colored Mac and the Newton come to mind. But that didn't send Apple to the mattresses. They learned from the blueberry Mac and it evolved into the iMac on my desk. And the Newton may very well be the first glimmer of the iPhone/iPad revolution.

Like it or not, Apple is leading the way in computing, producing products that are both reliable and exciting. Businesses could do far worse than find ways to integrate that into our businesses.

iPad: Tool or toy? Let's find out

Since it's introduction, the iPad has suffered from a bit of an identity crisis. Sure it's a great entertainment device for taking digital content to the next level of mobility. But does it have a place for business?

We're focusing on that with our new iPad. What is it going to do for you as a business person? What apps really make a difference for mobile users? Can it take the place and even improve upon the notebook? Can it satisfy even PC users?

To set up our test, here are a few basics: I have a 32 GB iPad with both WiFi and 3G.. The latter was my biggest decision. I just couldn't decide if I needed the 3G and if it would be worth the money. That will be one of the things we'll learn as we go through this process. 

I am writing this post as a note because I started it at the dentist's office and did not have wifi there. My plan will be not to pay for 3G until I really think I need it. Working on a blog post while in the waiting room did not rise to that level.

The first thing I will say is how I love typing on the keyboard. The feel is terrific but it takes some getting used to. A stray finger and you've got some errant letters. 

Please comment and let me know if there's anything particular you want to know about the iPad. Next up I'll take a look at business related applications for iPhone running on the iPad and how well they work.. Or do you even need them? 

Hire the unemployed and get a tax credit

Everyone I know who is out of work would rather have a job than unemployment. But they need something. Extend unemployment and create tax credits for businesses for each unemployed person a business hires. That addresses the immediate need people have to pay for housing and food, but it clearly says to business that the unemployed are out there because of an economic crisis NOT because of some deficiency on their part.

Businesses that refuse to even consider the unemployed for positions should not get the same tax advantages as those who bring these talented, hardworking and experienced workers back into the fold. Agree? Interested in your thoughts?

Business card scanners for the iPhone: Which app is best?

Digital business cards may be the next big thing (see previous post) but until things shake down and some standard platforms bubble up, the hard copy printed business card is a fact of life.

That said, how do I meld the old-school business card with mobile platforms, smartphones and digital content?

If you've got an iPhone, you have a lot of options. A search on the App Store brings up more than a dozen card readers - some with free or "lite" versions that give you a taste of the app and, they hope, entice you to pop for somewhere between $3 and $10.

So where should you put your money?

First key: You need an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 with a higher megapixel camera and a zoom capability. Some apps say you can use an iPhone 3G with a camera accessory, other apps let you import photos taken with a digital camera or scanned. But for real ease of use, have a later version iPhone.

Second key: The quality of the photo YOU take is the single most important determinant of how good the character recognition will be. Good lighting is important (shadows definitely screw up the OCR).

Third key: Boring POCs (Plain Old Cards) work best. Fancy, highly designed glossy cards are more difficult to recognize. Information like the company name in a designed logo is hard to recognize and often doesn't come over. A white business card with clearly printed text (no pictures) on it will be recognized almost 100 percent.

To find out which is best, I downloaded the limited version of five applications and scanned two cards: a glossy card with reverse text and a photo and a plain white card with black text, a logo and clearly defined type. Most scanning applications today do more than just character recognition and exports to your contacts app. Some have online backup, some have card holder libraries, some let you make phone calls or send SMS from links from the business card itself, one can even automatically send your business card and a note to each new contact whose card you import.

But first and foremost you've got to have good character recognition and field organization.

World Card Mobile ($5.99) did a middling job on both cards. On a 1-5 scale based on number of fields recognized and number of characters corrected translated, I give them a 2.5. One puzzling error - it translated all the l's as f's, so Milltown came out Mifftown.

CamCard ($5.99) did slightly better with both cards and has an anti-shake function that waits until the image is stabilized to take the photo - a pretty nifty feature that none of the others had. On OCR alone, I give it a 3.5. Some other features like the card holder, multi-language support, ability to call, text or email directly from the stored business card were all nice touches.

ABBYY ($9.99) was perfect with the standard card and better than most with the glossy, highly designed card. OCR rating alone probably nets it a 4 rating on my scale. ABBYY lets you select what contact fields you want to use and add new contact fields on the fly. It also has multi-language support.

ScanBizCards ($6.99) had the ability to crop the business card to remove some of the extraneous areas and focus more tightly on the data you want recognized. There are also some nice touches like a link-up to LinkedIN, Skype integration, Web sync lets you create an account and backup your business cards online, and a rudimentary CRM function will even remind you to follow up with new contacts. But on the overall OCR test, it came up high (not perfect) on the plain card, but way off on the designed card. An overall rating of 3.5

Card2Contacts ($4.99). This is really a shame because they have some cool functions including a split frame that can let you drag and drop recognized text into the correct fields. But the OCR engine was the worst of them all, recognizing no fields on the glossy card and only a middling job on the plain white card. So overall on OCR alone I gave it a 2.

What's the bottom line? I am torn between the clarity of ABBYY (after all the other features are only helpful if you've got the card accurately read into your system) and the many more mobile features of ScanBizCards. As business gets more mobile, my iPhone and other linked devices like my future iPad, will become my main business tools.

In the final analysis, OCR is the reason why you get an OCR application. So I'm popping for the big bucks - $9.99 - for ABBYY. Have you got another app you like for business cards? We'd like to hear your opinions.

The S-Word

To the list of words that can be spoken only by their first letter (the F-Word and others) let's add the S-Word: Service.

Quality (the Q-Word) has been declining for the past 30 years: Workmanship is a declining art and pride in doing a good day's work has been largely replaced by either greed or complacency (depending on which end of the pay spectrum you are on).

As quality has declined so has brand loyalty. Price is the driver now. Just because I bought a Maytag washer last time doesn't mean I'll buy one again. I'll buy whatever is cheaper because I perceive them to be all basically of the same quality, same features and same expected lifespan.

With quality and customer loyalty lagging, we now spend a ton of time talking, writing and blogging about how to get customers. We are awash in advice on how to get customers: the five keys to marketing, 10 ways to use your database, 15 keys to social media marketing. In the enumeration of our efforts to find them, less time is spent thinking about how to retain them.

As a consumer of products and services, the answer is customer service - plain and simple. It seems so simple, I am always surprised by how hard it is to find and how excited you get when you do find it. On the rare occasion that a company provides me with what I consider to be outstanding personal service, I become loyal, committed and a passionate advocate. I spread the word to friends and associates, I write nice notes on my Facebook page or blog and generally do everything I can to extol the virtues of the company.

The sad thing is that today's great customer service was really just basic business practices a few decades ago. Companies have trained us to lower expectations: consider cell phones, we now consider it perfectly acceptable that you have dead spots where you phone doesn't work, can only clearly hear every third word of a conversation and that the call may be dropped at any time. That's just the price we pay for convenience. None of us is calling AT&T to complain that we have to bend over the kitchen sink to the south facing window to get enough bars to make a phone call. No. We just accept that that's the way it is.

But shouldn't we - as consumers - expect more? And as business owners, shouldn't we at least try harder to fulfill those expectations?

As a small business, we don't have a ton of money and we certainly don't have a huge staff. But here are a couple of small guidelines to better customer service that we can all follow. They won't break the bank and they will increase loyalty.

1. Be an advocate for your customer, not your company. A customer dealt with fairly and honestly, who's complaint was addressed quickly and without recriminations is worth their weight in gold to you. They will tell their friends and associates, they will be your customer for as long as they need that service and they will hold you up to others as an example. This is grass-roots, word-of-mouth marketing you can't buy.

2. If it costs more to prove you're right than it costs to fix the problem, just fix the problem. Recently, I took issue with a supplier over an order. The order cost me less than $125, so I'm assuming it cost the supplier less than $50 to produce. After a day and half of discussion, a courier pickup, and two separate employees including a senior manager explaining to me why it was "acceptable quality," I finally had to give in. Then they overnight shipped the 20lb box back to me. All in all, this company is out money AND they have aggravated me to the point of looking elsewhere for a supplier. I'm sure the company considers this a win, but by my business ROI calculator it's a definite loss. This company missed a huge chance for a big customer service win with a pretty low price point.

3. Manage expectations; fulfill commitments. What do you want from companies you deal with? For most of us, it's pretty basic - do what you say you're going to do for a fair price that we agree on. Unless you are a fast food restaurant or a hospital, your customers and clients can generally understand if you can't do something "immediately." But if you tell me you can't do it until two weeks from Friday because of previous commitments, then have it done by then. Even though this seems basic, I find a lot of companies - big and small - promise more than they can deliver because they think telling the customer what they want to hear is going to make them happy. What makes customers happy, is getting what they are promised.

4. Be honest. A customer with money to spend and who will pay those bills, is in some ways an easy mark. It is tempting to put them into things they may not really need, to create situations where your services will continue to be required for maintenance, or to recommend things for them that you know they can do themselves or obtain for free. If you've ever had the experience of a company that tells you they won't sell you something more expensive because you only need a $2 part, then you know how quickly you become a rabid fan and loyal customer. Sometimes the sale you don't make is the best advertising you can have.

This is only a 4-item list and everyone knows a list must be 3 or 5, 10 or 15. So please comment, tell us your best customer service tip. If small businesses came together and made a commitment to improving our relationships with customers, maybe we can again feel comfortable saying the S-Word out loud!

When is a $5 website too expensive?

I spent much of today looking at websites of local businesses - big and small, new ones and established ones, professionally created sites and personally designed sites.

A few key points became clear:

• Paying for a website doesn't necessarily make it good
• Creating a website yourself using readily available tools isn't necessarily bad
• Getting a cheap website can sometimes just not be worth it

If your business is in need of a website, here are a few considerations to keep in mind.

DOMAIN NAMES

If your company name is Frank's Sports Training Center, don't use hitmorehomeruns.com as your domain name. You may not be able to find exactly what you want but try to be somewhere in the ballpark. People tend to intuit website URLs. They may try a few options, but they're not going to think that far out of the box. For the same reason, stay away from dashes in urls. Frankssports-trainingcenter.com is just as obscure as hitmorehomeruns.

Try to get the .com version of your domain, but while you're at it it's worth spending the small amount of money to lock down the .org and .net versions as well. This will eliminate confusion and you can simply point those domains to your main URL. Although there are many more domains available today with the opening up of the .biz, .tv, and others, they are far less intuitive to the average user.

BRANDED EMAIL

With a lot of free sites, you get a website but no branded emails, meaning that your website might be hitmorehomeruns.com, but your email address is frank@gmail.com. This is far less professional. Even if you are choosing a service that let's you create your own website from sets of standardized choices and elements, choose one that will also give you branded email. This is a lot more professional. Also make your business email consistent with your type of business. It may be cool to be bigabs@gmail.com for your personal email, but unless your business is body building, go with something more professional.

SPELLING, GRAMMAR AND TYPOS

Whether you pay a company to produce your website or you use a create-your-own online product, you still have to be responsible for the content. Being an expert in your business does not necessarily make you an expert in articulating that business to others. Some sites have blatant typos. One nutritionists' website I reviewed spelled weight loss incorrectly in the main banner (weighloss). The fact that he can't spell certainly doesn't mean that he isn't a great nutrition coach, but it does call into question attention to detail and professionalism.

Your website is the front door of your business to the world. You would not leave a bag of garbage and a few dead plants out in the front of your physical storefront. Neither should your website have misspellings, typos, or poor grammar. Even if communications isn't your business, it shows a lack of attention, concern and professionalism that can turn customers off.

Professional content creation for your website can be fairly inexpensive but can pay off significantly.

CLEAR CONTENT

A big mistake many small business websites make is assuming that their readers will know something about their business already. This is a common error made by subject-matter experts who are not writers. Although you may know production-line project management, you may not be able to articulate those concepts to someone who is not a SixSigma Black Belt.

The 5Ws are a great rule to live by in all writing. Yes, they're basic, but there's a reason that Who, What, Where, When and Why has stood the test of time. It's the essential elements to clarity in your content. Make sure they're covered and clear. If you're writing the content yourself, have someone not in your industry read your web page. And make necessary adjustments until it's clear to them.

There are a vast number of online tools from do-it-yourself websites to business cards and marketing campaigns. In some cases, these tools provide an easy and accessible way for you to create good looking tools for very small amounts of money. But in many cases, the mistakes you may make can make doing it yourself a costly proposition.

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If you think your company might benefit from some professional help, contact us. We can offer as little or as much as you need - from copy editing your own content to creating content from scratch or even developing your website.