SoHo Trends

Happy Holidays!

admin — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:01:03 +0000

Here are my favorite quotations about the holidays…

From Hellen Keller…

The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart.

From Dale Evans Rogers…

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.

And finally, from P. J. O’Rourke…

The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Year’s Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you’re married to.

Send me your favorite holiday quotations. Best wishes to you and yours this holiday season!

Free, Guaranteed Drinkability and a Really, Very Good Opportunity that Offers a Lot of Synergy

admin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:36:33 +0000

From 10 Advertising Words to Avoid in 2009…

Cheap Ways of Acquiring Microsoft Products

admin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:50:33 +0000

ANOTHER NOTE: Thanks to Mikey J for his comment about the renewal process. He’s right… At the end of each subscription year, each MAPS subscriber must re-enroll in the initiative.

NOTE: Thanks to Susan for her comment about the eligibility requirements for the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription. Below is a snippet from the Microsoft web site. The emphasis is mine. Please review the complete terms for full details about the MAPS program.

The Microsoft Action Pack Subscription is designed for all businesses whose primary function is to (i) sell, service, and support or (ii) to build solutions on the Microsoft platform or provide solutions based on Microsoft products and technologies to independent, third-party customers. Examples of qualifying businesses include accounting professionals, consulting service providers, independent software vendors (ISVs), independent hardware vendors, large account resellers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), small business specialists, support providers, system integrators, system builders, training providers, Web designers, value-added resellers, and value-added providers that sell more than 75 percent of their products and services to customers outside their own company.

Examples of non-qualifying entities include: nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, students, government offices, and businesses whose primary focus is not IT related. Specific types of businesses whose primary focus is non-IT related, but that have significant influence on technology purchases, may qualify to participate in the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription.

Back to my original post…

Notice how the title reads, “Cheap Ways of Acquiring Microsoft Products” and not “Free Ways of Getting Your Hands on Microsoft Products”

The first thing you need to do is to enroll your business as a Registered Member in the Microsoft Partner Program. Yes, it’s a little annoying that you must have a Windows Live ID account to register, but once you’ve got a Live ID account, visiting any of the Microsoft web sites is a much more personable (and pleasant) experience. It takes less than 15 minutes to enroll in the Microsoft Partner Program and once you’re registered you’ll be eligible to apply for a couple of Partner Programs that can provide Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Vista, Visual Studio, SQL Server or SharePoint much more cheaply than you can purchase a retail store or online.

One of the programs that I’m currently registered for is the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription. According to the Microsoft web site:

Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS) provides Registered Members of the Microsoft Partner Program internal-use, full-version software and sales resources to help you meet your sales goals, stay competitive, and grow your business.

You must be a Registered Microsoft Partner and pass an online assessment to qualify for the MAPS program. You can choose from several different online courses, including courses such as “Make the Most of Your Registered Member Partnership”, “Understanding Software-plus-Services” and “Microsoft Office System Sales Training“. Not all online courses are offered in multiple languages, so please check the Microsoft Partner Program web site for all the latest details. Once you finish the online course, you take an online assessment and need to score at least 70 to be eligible for the program. Assuming you pass the online assessment (and it’s one of those tests anyone with half a brain could pass), you’re now eligible for the MAPS program. It’s not free. When I applied for the program, the cost was $299. Please check the MAPS web site for current pricing.

What do you get in the MAPS program? Software and lots of it. When you enroll in the MAPS program and pay your fee, you will receive an introductory shipment that includes a boatload of Microsoft software. My shipment included:

Windows Vista
Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007
Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 (click here for a 60-day trial of Microsoft Office Project 2007)
Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007
Windows Server 2008
Windows SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Enterprise Edition
… and many more.

I don’t recall what the retail value of all the software that you get for being a part of the MAPS program, but suffice to say, it would be prohibitively expensive for most small businesses to acquire this software at a retail cost. Now, please keep in mind that the software you receive as part of the MAPS program is “… internal-use software for internal business purposes, application development, and testing.” Check the MAPS program web site for more details.

As a MAPS member, you get a package every quarter. The January 2009 Quarterly Update Kit is scheduled to include:

Windows Beta 7
Microsoft Virtual PC 2007
Windows Small Business Server 2008 Standard Edition
Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Standard Edition
Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008.

There are two special edition kits that you can obtain as a member of the MAPS program. One is the Special Edition Web Solutions toolkit, which includes Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Standard and the Microsoft Expression Studio 2. The other is the Small Business Specialist Community Special Edition toolkit. This toolkit includes additional resources that are designed for partners that support the small and medium business (SMB) market.

Microsoft also offers Empower for ISVs and the Microsoft BizSpark programs. I’ll write about these two programs in a future post.

My second, third and fourth offices…

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:07:50 +0000

One of the “perks” that I miss about my previous job is the office that came with it. Sure, there were days that the commute was ugly, but, all in all, it was great to have a private office with a door I could close when I wanted to shut out the outside world and concentrate on what I was doing. Now that I’ve gone out on my own, I share my “office” (the kitchen table) with my wife and kids. Don’t get me wrong… my family has been great and very supportive of my new (ad)venture; however, it can be difficult to work when the kids come home from school and are having their afternoon snack or practicing their musical instruments

As a result, I spend quite a bit of time working outside my home office. So, where do I go? I’ve been to Panera more the past three months than most normal people go in a several years. It’s a great place to have a meeting as long as you don’t mind the noise level when the lunch crowd comes in. Most of the Panera’s I’ve been to have plenty of power outlets for plugging in my laptop (Tip: If you’re sitting in one of the booths, check underneath the seat for a power outlet); however, the wi-fi can be a bit finicky at times. Even when the wi-fi is up and running, it can be very, very sluggish. While I’ve never felt rushed or been asked to leave while working at Panera’s, I always buy something to eat or drink while I’m there.

I’ve also worked at coffee shops like Caribou Coffee or Starbucks. As a general rule, I don’t link working for a long time in one of these types of places. They tend to be fairly small and crowded. In addition, there’s a lot more foot traffic through a coffee shop and I find it more difficult to concentrate with so many people coming in and out of the store.

My favorite place to work is (drum roll, please)… the public library. I live in Fairfax County, Virginia and we are very fortunate to have such a wonderful public library system. There’s free wi-fi in all of the library branches. The wi-fi connection at the library is much faster than the DSL service I have at home. There’s plenty of space to spread out and work. Outlets are plentiful. There are private carrel to work in if you really need some peace and quiet. You can even bring in a covered drink now, although food is still not allowed. So, check out your local public library when you need a place to work outside your home. I think you’ll be surprised at what services they offer.

Now that I’ve told you where I like to go to work outside my home office, where are the places that YOU like to go?

Why are Business Checks SO much more EXPENSIVE than Personal Checks?

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:00:41 +0000

Can someone please tell me why business checks are so much more expensive than regular checks? I googled “business checks” and clicked on the link of the first organic search result. The lowest price for general purpose, one-part, 3-on-a-page business checks was $32.40 for 300. The lowest price for personal checks was $21.90 for two boxes of blue classic checks. Yes, this is a very, very small sample size and your mileage may vary; however, take a look at any site that sells online checks. The business checks are significantly more expensive than the personal checks. And… there are often coupons and/or deals for personal checks, while I have yet to find a coupon or deal for business checks.

You Don’t Need the Aggravation: When to Fire a Client

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:30:59 +0000

Firing a problematic client: It’s often both a fantastical and frightful notion for the small-business owner. But it may also be a pretty smart move, especially in today’s economy. “There’s an emotional tendency to believe that all your clients are worth something,” says Matt Sarkees, assistant professor of marketing at Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies.” And it’s very hard emotionally and psychologically to believe there’s a set of clients that you really should not have a relationship with.”

Read more at US News and World Report

How Do I…Find the Right Domain Name?

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:29:39 +0000

So you probably know you can lease a car, but did you know you can lease a Web site? But then, why would you want to? For answers to these questions and more, I spoke with YummyNames General Manager Bill Sweetman about tips for small firms in finding the best domain name, Web site strategies and why in fact some firms have made arrangements to rent-to-own when it comes to Web site addresses. YummyNames oversees, sells and rents more than 150,000 domain names owned by Tucows, an Internet services firm. YummyNames General Manager Bill Sweetman (courtesy of Tucows) “A lot of small businesses think that all the ‘good’ domain names are taken, but that’s the biggest myth out there,” Sweetman said. “It’s all about how you conduct the search.” For example, Sweetman suggests that a business owner might take a visit to a domain registrar and type in “cheeseboutique.com” or

Testimonials Key for Small Businesses Looking to Capture Word of Mouth

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:29:24 +0000

You already know that the most effective advertising for your business is one person telling another. That kind of natural word-of-mouth referral carries more weight than all the advertising you can buy. Testimonials are how you capture and share that enthusiasm.

When a customer, employee, vendor or anyone else starts telling you how great your business, service, or product is, ask them immediately to share it. Get creative about the format.

Read more at US News and World Report

10 Overused Business Phrases More Depressing Than a Depression

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:29:14 +0000

Talk about overload: Suddenly everybody’s spewing small-business survival tips for the greater depression. It makes me long for those good old days of, say, last year, when every other E-mail promised me the Zen of something or other, like the Zen of online backup. Or, better yet, the way back time when all software was user friendly.

So, here’s my list of 10 overused and worn-out come-on lines for small business in times of economic crisis.

Let’s start this top 10 with four glaringly obvious lies that are starting to smell like two-week-old socks caught in the gymnasium bleachers:

Read more at US News and World Report

Does Your State Put Unnecessary Burdens On Entrepreneurs And Small Businesses?

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:28:26 +0000

While we’re on the subject of ridiculous regulations on entrepreneurs, I should mention that the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council has just released its Small Business Survival Index 2008, an attempt to rank the 50 states based on the quality of the policy environment for entrepreneurs. What that means, given the SBEC’s pro-free-market leanings, is that a good policy environment is determined by how much the government gets out of the way and does not drain wealth from businesses. So, the variables used in the report include income tax rates, state and local property tax rates, minimum wages, legal liability costs, and more. See where your state ranked.

Read more at US News and World Report