Such a smart product
Check out this new USB cell battery. Just plug it in to any USB outlet to charge - so smart!
Why Twitter Should Matter
Why Twitter Should Matter to E-Commerce Shops By David Miller Whether Twitter's future involves a buyout, another round of funding or its owners finally finding a way to monetize a service, it's clear that an increasing numbers of users are finding useful for more than just posting 140 character tweets (short blurbs) about what they happen to be doing at any given moment. Twitter may not be common among small e-commerce shops yet, but don't think your competition isn't thinking of ways to use the free service. Some of the practical applications listed below may offer insight into how you can use Twitter to grow your online sales. "I think people like to follow breaking news on Twitter because it's so instantaneous," Sale added. "And it's self-correcting. You might check a blog or an RSS feed once a day, but people tend to follow Twitter constantly." The Red Cross has 3,000+ "followers," people who have signed on to view their tweets. Dell started experimenting with Twitter in March of 2007 after the South by Southwest conference, an annual tech/music festival in Austin, Texas. Conference attendees could keep tabs on each other via a stream of Twitter messages on 60-inch plasma screens set up in the conference hallways. There are now 65 Twitter groups on Dell.com, with 2,475 followers for the Dell Home Outlet Store. "A million dollars isn't a lot of money, but it shows that people want to sign up for feeds," says Bob Pearson, head of communities and conversation for Dell. Pearson is a big fan of Twhirl, a free desktop client for that lets users manage feeds from Twitter and other popular microblogging sites (laconi.ca, Friendfeed and seismic). "It's a good quick way to see what's going on in the world," Pearson said about Twhirl. Discount airline Jet Blue also uses Twitter to offer real-time discounts, sometimes even offering tickets or adding flights when large numbers of people are Twittering sadly about the lack of transport options to a conference or festival. JetBlue also monitors Twitter for comments about the company, responding quickly to compliments and complaints, and following its customers. "Asking when Twitter will end is like saying, ‘When will the cell phone fad end'?" said David Spark, founder of Spark Media Solutions, a storytelling production company. "The value of cell phones can't end, it only can be replaced by something that provides the same value and more. Once we have a capability, we never want it taken away from us." Spark, who recently documented "16 Great Twitter Moments," saod he believes that all companies should be listening to what's happening on Twitter, blogs and elsewhere on the Internet, noting that "it's truly the cheapest and most accurate market research you can possibly have.'" "If they turned out a lot of cool features, I would pay," said Scoble. "Direct messaging where I could forward and sort messages, real e-mail messaging features, stuff like that. Or put pictures on my tweets, like FriendFeed has pictures and videos. It would have to be part of a suite of other features, like the 'pro version' of Twitter. I would pay for that." He added that Twitter could turn to advertising as a revenue model, perhaps inserting ads between messages like Meebo does, but he thinks it's possible people might complain and also wonders if the advertising could be targeted enough to appeal to marketers. Describing Twitter as the love child of IM and chat and blogging, Scoble said the big attraction for him is the interactivity. "When I post a comment on my blog, it's usually 20 or 30 minutes before I get a comment. With Twitter, I get feedback in seconds," said Scoble. "And it's a worldwide community. You can talk to camera guy at the White House, a supply chain manager in China, a reporter in India. People find that fascinating and useful." Of course not everyone is a fan. Google "I Hate Twitter" and you'll see plenty of gripes, mostly about the banality of tweets and peoples' increasing belief that everyone in the world is their very own '50s sitcom mother, endlessly fascinated by every single one of their thoughts and actions. "I find Twitter incredibly annoying, both as a user and bystander," said Trisha Creekmore, interactive executive producer for Discovery.com. "There's nothing more annoying than trying to enjoy an event with a bunch of Twitter geeks and having to stop every five seconds for them to tweet into their mobile device. If you're at an event, BE at the event. Or leave." Article courtesy of InternetNews.com
It's practically impossible to find a story that doesn't darkly point out that the microblogging service Twitter has no revenue model, yet despite that concern, all the complaints about unreliable service, the rants about the exceptionally high noise-to-signal ratio, the outright attacks that accuse the company of "top-to-bottom incompetence," Twitter keeps on tweeting and seems likely to continue doing so into the foreseeable future. Red Cross Turns to Twitter
"We're using Twitter to get info out to the public and the media," said Claire Sale, an interactive media specialist with the Red Cross. "Twitter offers a single stream of information, and it's been most successful in disaster response, like the recent wildfires in California. Dude, You're Getting a Tweet
Less altruistically, some businesses have discovered that Twitter is an effective way of communicating with consumers. Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) says Twitter has produced $1 million in revenue over the past year and a half through sale alerts. People who sign up to follow Dell on Twitter receive messages when discounted products are available the company's Home Outlet Store. They can click over to purchase the product or forward the information to others. Good for Customer Service
Would You Pay to Tweet?
Tech evangelist and well-known blogger Robert Scoble suggests that Twitter can make money by offering a premium service.
Conference Calls: for Businesses, Organizations and Individuals
This cool online service makes me want to set up a conference call. Great for small businesses.
freeconference.comThe Perks of Being Unemployed
This article is from the Get Crafty site:
by Elizabeth Lash
You have to have a good attitude when the economy slows down. While getting a job is a noble pursuit, it's important not to lose sight of the pleasures of joblessness. Whether you're a student looking for summer work, or a grownup looking to finance the habit of adulthood, there are plenty of things that you can do when you have trouble finding (or keeping!) a job.
Go out and explore: you never know what you'll find.
After yet another fruitless temp interview in Boston's financial district I wandered around and found myself on a busy street where vendors sold frozen lemonade and hot dogs. An Andean band played under a yellow tent, haunting the streets with their wind-like sounds, while next to them a woman sold red, pink, and yellow-colored fringe blankets, faintly reminiscent perhaps of the musicians' home country.
From there I found myself in a genuine Chinatown grocery store, wending my way politely to the freezer at the back. There I found enough frozen spring rolls and cream buns to last me for several TV dinners' worth, for less than three bucks. And I didn't even have to tip the delivery man.
Find out the bargains around the city.
When I was told my new job wouldn't start for another few days, I shrugged and wandered over the pedestrian footbridge over the highway and went for a walk on the Charles. The sun shone, the pedestrians walked, the bikers biked. And the sailors sailed, as I discovered when I stumbled upon Community Boating. There I found that I could do all the sailing I wanted for 2 and a half months for $90 bucks or 1 and a half months for $60. This included use of the sailing boats, instruction by members, lessons. The same deal also applied for windsurfing and kayaking. And I found out that I could attend Rigging and Shoreline classes that evening - for free. I never wanted to sail before, but at that moment I imagined myself getting tan, fit, and well versed in nautical lore after a summer spent sailing on the Charles.
Play pranks!
On yet another day where I was told I was not needed to work, I bought myself a cream cheese on toasted bagel and walked over the footbridge to the Charles. I had a strange urge to throw something in the highway. Honest, the cars weren't that close when I dropped the bagel! And no one is the wiser (except you). Just don't do anything that will get you in jail. Life is not like Monopoly; you might have to wait a few years rather than a few turns to get out of jail.
Stay in shape.
If you're a college student and you're staying around the area, you can swim, bike, lift weights, and more just by flashing your school id at the right person: your school gym's security guard. Go in with your friends and use their ids if that fails. You also get to find out the hidden perks of your gym with all the extra time you have. I had never swum at the school gym, but one of my housemates dragged me along and now I'm hooked. It even has training schedules, and I've been following them to become buff. And as I walked down the hall from the pool one afternoon, I discovered we had a sauna. Hallelujah! Now I have a great incentive to get me to come to the gym on cold, windy days. Now if only they would install real showers and a steam room ...
Be ready for spur of the moment activities!
One of the great things about being unemployed is that you can meet with your friends, eat out, and go away for long weekends ... without angering your boss. When one of my housemates decided to pick up and leave for her family's house down at the Cape Saturday afternoon one, my other housemate and I were ready to go in 20 minutes and spent the weekend swimming, kayaking, and eating ice cream until we were sick.
Get great things for free.
Key word: barter. My housemates and I take care of their aunt's dog Bailey and she brings us good things like cookies and entertainment. Well, this aunt is the entertainment because she regales us with stories like her sudden trip to Alaska, Hong Kong, and her multiple career changes. She promised to teach me photography (she's a photography professor at Tufts and freelances as well) if I would help her build a darkroom in her apartment. We take care of this housemate's parents' kids occasionally, and they pay for a Poland Spring man to bring us fresh water every month. The parents also get us awesome seats to concerts. My housemate's dad offered to get us center seats at the Tweeter Center, four days in advance of a sold-out Aerosmith concert.
Hit the Beach -- Real or Imagined
You don't necessarily need well-connected friends or housemates to do have fun. In Boston, there's a beach that's accessible by public transport, if you're willing to get up early and switch a bunch of lines. Just bring a suit and a friend. Or if there are no beaches in your area, invite some friends over and spend the day sun-tanning, reading old beauty magazines (that you picked up for cheap at a used bookstore), and painting your toenails. And if you really crave the sounds of the beach, buy a cassette or bring a seashell to the lawn party. It'll do, just close your eyes and imagine.
Free entertainment:
There are also plenty of cheap concerts at bars with no cover required, as well as free outdoor concerts. Read the Boston Phoenix or the Improper Bostonian if you're from Boston, TimeOut NY if you're from, well, New York, or hit Citysearch.com for events in the city closest to you. You don't necessarily have to go to the biggest concerts, just the free and cheap ones. You never know; you might discover a hot new band. And then make bundles of money being their promoter! (Well, you can dream. After all, isn't that a perk of being unemployed?)
Bring your lunch on outings. You can design the sandwich any way you want; the ingredients are just as fresh as a deli's; and it's cheaper. You can save the $100 a month (at $5/lunch) and use it for membership at a sailing club or gym, or for a new guitar. Maybe even for the rent. (Nah ...)
Look for work...
Apply to Starbucks when you're feeling the urge for a caffeinated drink. Out of four times I applied to a Starbucks, twice I got a free drink. Their rationale: poor suckers, only about 100 other people have applied, I guess we could spare them a drink. They have to be nice, cause they still want you to drink their gourmet coffee at $4 a pop. It's just another gimmick, but I'm all for it if it gets me one of their new Rasberry Frappacinos.
So that's about it, folks. Go out, search for jobs, and pray you won't get them. That way you can continue to tour your city, enjoy the sunshine, go to concerts, travel on the weekends, and get drinks on the house. One more thing. Be nice to your parents and your friends, and enjoy the perks while they last. You never know when the vacation will end and you'll actually have to [gasp!] get a job.
Elizabeth Lash is a student living and working in Boston (for the time being) although at heart she is a New Yorker, baby! She loves walking around, getting lost in cities, reading, taking dogs for a walk and knitting the scarf she has been working on since February.
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January 20, 2009 - A Day of History
Today is a historic moment. I am tearful, delighted and proud.
Great online shipping resource
visit: endicia.com for all shipping / stamp needs. This is a great site for small business owners in a hurry.
endicia.com
Make an e-mailable video
Next up - What's the story behind Twitter - should we all be tweeting?
Why I am I thinking about setting myself up on Twitter?
A friend of mine, Jeff, who has a word of mouth advertising business blabbermouth told me how user-friendly it is and how it can really drive sales to your retail site. So I am about to begin the research process to start tweeting . . .
Cyber Monday failed many
After asking many small business owners I discovered that cyber Monday didn't really live up to the hopes that so many had. So many online retailers offered coupon codes, discounts and shipping deals - all to no avail. Black Friday did better for many.
So now that it is after the Chritsmas Holiday how did online sales do for mark downs and clearance sales? Not well either I have to announce. This is no surprise to anyone who has been listinging to the national news - but there was much hope for businesses that professed "buy local" and "buy handmade". It will take a great deal to get the small business train moving again.