The Hotter News!: 2011

Market My Home Business - Market To Any Home Biz Niche!

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Thursday, May 19, 2011

Real Home Business Ideas for Moms

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Power Bright VC100W Voltage Transformer 100 Watt Step Up/Down 110 Volt - 220 Volt

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Monday morning must-reads

Obama plans $1 billion in debt relief… for Egypt

“Open government” is hiding behind closed doors

Is Alan Grayson plotting a comeback?

America’s on high alert

Will the war on speculators actually affect gas prices?

Information I really didn’t need to know about bin Laden

Obama immune to Louisiana’s oil moratorium misery

2012: A Republican rescue fantasy?

Christie hints support for Mitch Daniels

Report: NATO left Libyan immigrants to die

Osama bin Laden’s last will & testament:

Can French Fries Save Your Life?

Those Omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods you’ve been adding to your diet to keep your heart healthy just might be making you more likely to develop an aggressive and very deadly form of prostate cancer. That’s the conclusion from a recent study reported by ScienceDaily.com.

Analyzing data from a nationwide study involving more than 3,400 men, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that men with the highest blood percentages of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, an inflammation-lowering omega-3 fatty acid commonly found in fatty fish, have two-and-a-half-times the risk of developing aggressive, high-grade prostate cancer compared to men with the lowest DHA levels.

But wait, there’s more strange news in this story.

According to the medical study, it is just possible that the bad effects of the Omega-3s might be negated by consuming fried foods loaded with trans-fats. The same fried foods normally associated with heart disease.

So, french fries might be the antidote? The statistics give some encouraging news to those of us who enjoy french fries and trans fat laden foods.

The ScienceDaily.com story continued;

Conversely, the study also found that men with the highest blood ratios of trans-fatty acids — which are linked to inflammation and heart disease and abundant in processed foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils — had a 50 percent reduction in the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. In addition, neither of these fats was associated with the risk of low-grade prostate cancer risk. The researchers also found that omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in most vegetable oils and are linked to inflammation and heart disease, were not associated with prostate cancer risk. They also found that none of the fats were associated with the risk of low-grade prostate cancer.

For men, this could be the worst possible game of ‘Would you rather…?’

Would you rather have heart disease or prostate cancer?

The correct answer is NEITHER. Both diseases are common in men of a certain age. And both come with significant post diagnosis baggage that should inspire most of us to do all that we can to avoid them.

Perhaps the answer lies in a ‘balanced diet.” And when I say balanced, I’m thinking for every serving of salmon, you also order those delicious but demonized, french fries.

_______________________________________

As a public service, we offer these statistics

Heart disease is still the #1 killer of men. The American Heart Association keeps pretty good stats on this topic;

Coronary heart disease caused 425,425 deaths in 2006 and is the single leading cause of death in America today.

In 2006, coronary heart disease death rates per 100,000 people were 176.3 for white males and 206.4 for black males

About a yard south of the heart is the prostate and news from that department is also kind of sobering. According to RadiologyInfo.com;

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in American men, most prevalent in men over age 65 and fairly common in men 50-64 years old.

Obviously, good health and early detection is vital in dealing with both of these diseases.

H/T to The Week magazine.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Strictly Commercial: The Best Of Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa 101. As close as anyone has come to a definitive greatest hits set, Strictly Commercial manages to encapsulate much, if not most, of a career that deliberately defied any such attempts. This is the most accessible single collection of Zappa's music available, containing familiar ditties such as "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow," "Joe's Garage," and the radio hit, "Valley Girl." Those skeptical of his guitar work will most certainly find the included selections, "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace," "I'm the Slimeand," "Muffin Man" to be educational. Excellent for whetting the appetites of potential Zappa fanatics. --Andrew Boscardin

Price: $11.98

The Crown Jewels - Official Video - Her Majesty's Palace & Fortress the Tower of London

The Crown Jewels are symbols of the British monarchy. They have been entrusted to the care of the Tower of London for for than 6 centuries. This is a rare opportunity to see behind the glass casing and study the royal regalia with which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Sovereign. Some of the Crown Jewels date back 900 years to the time of King Edward the Confessor and the priceless collection has been added to by Kings & Queens over the centuries. Their history is the history of the islands. Their beauty is relfected in the significance of every stone. Their worth is our inheritance.

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Monday, May 16, 2011

Rescuing The American Dream The Entrepreneurs Way

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Home Business Crash Course

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Business Plan Guide and Workbook for Business Success

A business plan book written by an entrepreneur and business consultant with over twenty years experience writing business plans and helping companies succeed. Includes a step by step business planning workbook and a comprehensive business plan guide.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

OnlineBizPromo

Practical online business ideas and Work-At-Home opportunities for home based entrepreneurs.

Passenger pounding on cockpit subdued during flight

In this photo provided by passenger Tim Cole, a Delta Air Lines jet en route to San Diego from Detroit sits at a remote area of Albuquerque International Sunport, Sunday, after a bomb scare.

Travelers aboard an American Airlines flight were forced to subdue an out-of-control passenger who began pounding on the cockpit door and screamed unintelligibly, police said.

The terrifying episode ended when flight attendants and passengers wrestled him to the ground and handcuffed him as the plane approached San Francisco late Sunday.

The flight - which was headed from Chicago - was carrying 162 people.

The suspect was identified as Rageit Almurisi, a 28-year-old Yemeni national.

He faces federal charges of interfering with a flight crew.

The chilling incident followed two other mid-air meltdowns on the same day.

In one, a Continental flight to Chicago was diverted to St. Louis after a passenger tried to open a door.

The second episode involved a Delta Airlines flight that was diverted to Albuquerque, N.M. after a note was found in a bathroom with the word "bomb" written on it.

The plane was searched and no explosives were found.

With News Wire Services

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Art of Personal Branding for Entrepreneurs, Freelancers

This education program is tailored specifically for entrepreneurs, freelancers contractors and established professionals how to leverage the power of online media, to position yourself as an expert in the marketplace.

Busy Moms: The Heart and Soul of a Home

Know a really Busy Mom? 35 great articles to help manage the important role she has within her family. Each chapter delves into an important aspect of her life -- Parenting and Relationships, Money and Work, the Physical Home, Learning and Celebrations.

Friday, May 13, 2011

The hits keep coming

Snapshot of the screen from the Reuters Web site:

Sorry, that I couldn't read the content forward this page.

New Inventions Entrepreneur - "Best New Business Opportunity in Years"

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Thursday, May 12, 2011

50 Home Business Clarity Questions

Answer these 50 Questions honestly and truthfully and they Will Change Your Life. This magnificent work hands you 50 Simple Questions that you Absolutely Must Answer if you plan on starting and running a home based business that succeeds.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Gingrich plans 2012 announcement for Wednesday

In case you haven’t heard, former Speaker Newt Gingrich is set to announce his presidential plans on Wednesday. According to spokesman Rick Tyler, the announcement will be made via Twitter and Facebook and Fox News’ Sean Hannity will get the first primetime interview.

(For those who might have missed it, SNL hosted its own parody GOP debate over the weekend — Scott has it posted here.)

It’s not all too surprising that Gingrich plans to make an announcement this week. On Friday, the former Speaker hired his likely campaign manager, Rob Johnson, who recently helped Texas Gov. Rick Perry secure his own electoral victory.

Following his announcement Wednesday, Gingrich will address a convention of Republicans in his home state of Georgia.

Complete Audio Holy Bible King James Version Complete

James Earl Jones and Jon Sherberg read the Complete Audio Holy Bible!The vocal talents of two of the world s most gifted artists combine in service to the most popular book of all time resulting in the Complete Audio Holy Bible on compact disc. Exalt in the Word as every syllable of the King James Old and New Testaments is brought to life providing hours of inspirational listening.Jon Sherberg reads the entire Old Testament (KJV)Having worked with everyone from gospel singer Scott Wesley Brown to Oscar -winner Sir Ben Kingsley Jon Sherberg brings his rich theatrical background to the forefront with this masterful recitation of all 39 books of the Old Testament on 46 CDs.James Earl Jones reads the entire New Testament (KJV)Oscar -nominated Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor James Earl Jones lends his celebrated vocal talents to this distinctive reading of the complete unabridged text of the New Testament on 14 CDs.Features: Features King James Version of New and Old Testaments. New Testament read by award-winning actor James Earl Jones. Unabridged Old Testament read by renowned actor Jon Sherberg. 60-CD collection. Bonus! Included a convenient carrying case holds 64 CDs.Format: AUDIO BOOK Genre: REFERENCE / LIFESTYLE Age: 781735403839 UPC: 781735403839 Manufacturer No: 40383

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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Guide to Home Business Success

Hot niche High quality Right now product. Millions of people are looking at starting or growing a home business. The Guide shows how to get it right from the "get go". Timely professional advice by a super marketer and mentor.

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Monday, May 9, 2011

Defining a ‘Defining Moment’ – From The Daily Show

Jon Stewart brings the funny in this segment that redefines the concept of the defining moment.

Bonus points for a segment that takes some great shots at MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and Ed Schultz. (CONTENT WARNING – the corpulent Ed Schultz is depicted in tights.)

Dispelling the argument against the release of pictures of Osama Bin Laden

With the contenders GOP Herman Cain and Mitt Romney, the latest being to the the demanding censorship liberation photographic evidence of the disappearance of Osama Bin Laden, the problem has gone from being simply another in a list of fools by the administration of Obama following the announcement of the PR Sundaya fully bipartisan denial of the freedom of America to access the information. Unfortunately for those who hold this position, his argument for retaining these pictures have no water.

In general terms, the arguments against the release of the photos is divided into three categories, which are easily dismissed the subject of scrutiny.

1. The jihadists will use pictures for purposes of propaganda.

This argument not for two reasons.

Firstly, if jihadi advocates want to use images of a dead bin Laden to remove the sentiment against the United States, may simply make one. They have done in the pastand this time will be no different. There are no less than a half dozen images as floating internet is intended to be images of the body of bin Laden. They have been tested to be Photoshop of course, but that has not stopped for spread them like wildfire. In fact, some of these photos have been so realistic, even they have misled US officials. It there is any doubt that these images could be used if the propagandists wanted to do it?

Secondly, what is the value of the propaganda movement, the leader of this movement with its brain mass spread through the floor? Is there something about photographic evidence of a dreadful death that screams, "join us!"? I would say that these images would have much less value than, for example, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a smiling and healthy in Guantanamo Bay. A simple research of the history shows that these images are much more effective and that they could be used as a photo of tobacco. Look, for example, Nazi and Soviet propaganda and is likely to see images of a dead soldiers, favouring instead the idealized images of strong Aria, or abundant comrade. This principle does not change, even for the jihadists obsessed with martyrdom.

2. Americans do not want to see images of their dead enemies trophy.

The Americans do not want a trophy shot, we want photographic evidence of Justice which has become. This is not as some say, inconsistent with American values. In fact it is codified in U.S. law.

Federal law allows the victims and the families of the victims to view executions. For example, after the trial and sentencing of bomber Timothy McVeigh Oklahoma City, was administered 223 survivors and relatives of the victims, who were television circuit closed as a deadly cocktail. Is this, as the critics suggest, evidence of a desire for vengeance by the victims? Do or could it be that the courtesy of Justice should be allowed to the victims carried out?

Of course, it is the last.

Americans have been victims of bin Laden and his henchmen on multiple occasions. Our Government should extend the courtesy of allowing justice to see being carried out.

3 Conspiracy theories are not going to be happy, no matter what we do.

As a civil rights lawyer Alan Dershowitz (barely known as wild conspiracy theorist eyes) said in a recent piece arguing the release of the photos, "many reasonable people…will wonder if the decision may also have been based on a desire to suppress the truth." This is not about satisfying collective marginal of the conspiracy theorists bin Laden is dead, it's transparency.

Those who advocate against the publication of photos of bin Laden are being dishonest in his reasoning. This is not about its safety, is not about American values, and this is not about conspiracies; It's our Government's control information. Our Government, it is intended to be a porous institution accountable to its citizens, openly is keeping a secret from us and let us make no mistake about it; It's a great thing.

Nick Rizzuto the producer of the Show of S.E. Cupp. You can see the S.E. Cupp show at 1 pm in Insider extreme. Follow on Twitter @Nick_Rizzuto.

Friday, March 18, 2011

An Alternative to FBML

On March 10th (Thursday), Facebook is deprecating its popular FBML application, which is how many users added custom content to their Facebook Pages in the past.

To help brands cope with this change, Involver has launched our new Static HTML For Pages application, which allows users to customize their Facebook tab with either an image or static HTML code in a few quick steps.

The Static HTML app from Involver is the simplest way to customize your Page, and it’s free to use!

If you’re using FBML now, or just want to add new content in the new Facebook iFrame environment, Involver’s Static HTML app is a great way to incorporate your HTML images and designs to Facebook without any hosting or investment. Here are some great ways to use this new application:

• Add a customized image on your Facebook fan page

• Render static HTML code, within the framework of Facebook’s current guidelines

• Customize your tab name

• “Fan gate” your page, requiring users to Like your page in order to see other content

Installing is simple, just like any other Involver application. Visit our application gallery to install the Static HTML application (or more than 10 other apps) in less than 60 seconds.

Involver powers more applications on Facebook than any other company (over 250,000 apps are hosted on the Involver Platform), and is better equipped than anyone to handle massive scale and rapidly changing requirements. This means you never have to worry about your application being inaccessible.

Click here to install or find out more about our new Static HTML app. Tune into our blog, our Facebook page, and our Twitter stream to get the latest updates. And feel free to contact us with any questions about our full suite of applications and other Involver products.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Facebook Drops FBML in Favor of iFrames – Advantages & Challenges

One of the big questions that’s arisen around the changes to Facebook Pages is: How will it affect applications that were built using FBML? FBML, or Facebook Markup Language, was designed to enable users to build applications that deeply integrate into the Facebook experience. Several months ago, Facebook announced that they were in the process of deprecating FBML, and in their February 10th announcement of changes to their Pages they confirmed that FBML will be discontinued after March 10th. While existing FBML applications will continue to work, it will no longer be possible to build new applications using FBML.

iFrame Advantages
Instead of FBML, users can now build applications for Facebook tabs with HTML iFrames, enabling limitless integration of standard open web technologies without sandboxing or modification by Facebook’s servers. An iFrame or “inline frame” is simply an HTML code that allows users to embed any web page within another web page, in this case Facebook. In practical terms, this means that brands can continue to benefit from the tremendous viral capabilities of Facebook, and create more visual consistency between their web site and Facebook, as well as being able to redeploy existing assets. They’ll be able to run Javascripts on page loads and deeplink to highlight specific content as it appears in their streams. Facebook offers the following diagram of how it works.

Source: Facebook

All this makes it easier for you to incorporate all the rich content you use on your site into Facebook. You can also now engage certain basic analytics off your site to track page views and Facebook ad conversion.

Revising Tab Capabilities
But the change also means that certain other tab functions, which were easy for site admins to implement, now require the capabilities of a developer. Fan-gating, for example, a powerful way for brands to build their fan base by requiring visitors to Like their page in order to access applications, now requires a complex process involving JSON objects and Boolean code to set up.

So while the new Facebook Pages promise a future in which brands can create more consistency between their web site and Facebook profiles, and applications will function at a higher level, it’s also clear that implementation for some of the most basic functions will now require developer support.

Facebook no longer offers a static FBML app to take care of hosting, which means brands need to provide their own server infrastructure or utilize some of the solutions offered by companies like Involver, which can provide hosting, application support, and insulation from any future changes Facebook makes.

Involver will continue to support existing FBML applications, and make it possible for our customers to combine increased application functionality with the power of Facebook to interact directly with customers and grow audience. We can help you render your Pages in HTML as you continue to access our core suite of applications.

If you have further questions or would like to speak to one of our experts, feel free to get in touch with us here or comment below.

Understanding Facebook’s Iterative Process

In our blog post last week discussing the New System For Facebook Wall Posts, we suggested that “…not every change Facebook makes is right. And if this one proves unfeasible it won’t be the first time Facebook has tried something then made adjustments to accommodate users.” Sure enough, very likely in response to the backlash at the removal of reverse chronological order as the default for Wall posts, Facebook has added a Most Recent filter in a very visible place at the top of Fan Pages, so that users can again view posts in the way they’re used to viewing them.

End of story? Not really. The fact remains that, as passionate as its users are about the platform in its current state, Facebook is almost surely going to continue making updates and, as we stressed last week, it’s important to try to understand how the changes they make might be an improvement, even when it turns out they are not.

We’ve been hearing quite a bit about how difficult it is to keep up with all the changes on Facebook, and one of the important roles that a company like Involver can play in this is to insulate our customers from these changes, which is why we make it as simple as possible for users to deploy our applications without having to worry about changes on Facebook. But we also think its important to help our customers understand what it is that drives a company like Facebook to keep tinkering with something which, as far as most of its 500 million plus users are concerned, works just fine.

Agile Development
One of our working practices at Involver for software development, and now our marketing department (also see Involver & Agile Marketing), is something called “Agile.” Agile is based on the idea of product evolution through iterations or small experiments, as opposed to a few large bets. This style of working is especially suitable to the software industry, where few products arrive on the market fully baked, and the input and feedback of users (from beta testers to customers to fellow employees) allows producers to evolve and improve their products to meet the ever-growing expectations of a demanding and competitive market.

It’s not surprising that Facebook, with a CEO who is also a developer, would operate in a similar fashion, launching new versions, changing settings, and absorbing ideas and functionalities from potential competitors. Google certainly does this, as does Apple and just about every other successful technology company. It may be more annoying on Facebook, because people’s own identities are so deeply integrated with the platform.

Another principal of Agile is that it’s okay to fail, just don’t do it twice in the same way. So was this a failure? Perhaps, but if we think about what Facebook was trying to accomplish, it may be more properly viewed as a misstep or possibly even a step that users simply weren’t properly prepared for. Facebook’s intention, clearly, was to improve the way in which Wall posts are viewed. What they missed was to include a simple way for users to choose to view posts in the way they had before–in reverse chronological order. Users reacted, and Facebook made an adjustment to accommodate them.

If there’s a benefit in this entire exercise, and we believe there is, it’s that we now understand more fully that, just as with email or documents on our desktops, there are lots of different ways to view Wall posts. And just as we, as individuals, like to set our defaults or toggle between the options, Facebook, in its two-steps-forward, one-step-back way, is somehow on its way to finding a better way to allow us to do that.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Involver & Agile Marketing – Video Blog from VP of Marketing Jascha Kaykas-Wolff

Agile is about understanding all the work that you’re doing, having it defined to a very specific time frame and making sure that all the people that are on your team understand their roles and are executing against the things you’re trying to execute against.

What’s really exciting about Involver is we sit in an industry that’s experiencing a tremendous amount of churn and fluctuation, and I mean that in a very good way. Involver as a company sits at the tip of the spear in social marketing. The products we build serve a need that customers have to actually operate in this space. So for us, using Agile Marketing is incredibly important.

Defining the Sprint Process
The sprint is really a defined time period, where you understand the amount of work that you can accomplish and you define, as a team, the different tactics you’re going to execute during that time frame. What’s really important about the agile process and the sprint that exists in the agile process is that it’s a much shorter time period than exists in the traditional waterfall model.

So historically, if I wanted to create a campaign for the rebranding or relaunch of a new product, I’d have a six-month plus campaign planned, and I’d be planning to launch that campaign for maybe a quarter or two in advance of that. The difference with the agile model is that you say, “I’m going to execute against the first pieces for that campaign, and I’m going to do that over a two-week period, and then I’m going to identify what the interactions to those pieces are, and then I’m going to make changes to it from there.”

Involver & Our Customers
One of the things we’re always happy to do as a marketing organization is to spend time with our customers and prospective customers, and talk about the way that we run our business. We don’t think that we’re perfect, but we think we have a model that works incredibly well in this space, that’s efficient, and that’s effective.

One of the reasons that we are successful and seeing success as a team operating in agile is because we’re aligned philosophically as a company with the principles we’re trying to operate against, and that’s from the top-down. That doesn’t happen because your CEO says go figure out a new way to do business. It’s because your CEO and your executive team understand and empathize with the way the market has to operate and they empower you to be able to do that, and in turn, there’s no friction in the organization,and the marketing team to try and figure out ways to work to the CEO.

It’s kind of a really magical combination of an industry and of a time and a team that has a company that’s building a product where the Venn Diagram of those four pieces has 80-90% overlap.

iFrames Are Here and So Is Involver

Beginning today, Facebook is no longer supporting the deployment of new applications on business pages using FBML. In their place, Facebook is allowing support, within the constraints of their terms of service, for iFrames. The look and functionality of fan pages has also changed, as we’ve described in previous blog posts.

What does this mean for you?

If you’re an Involver customer, your apps will be running as you should expect. Better, in fact. One of our of biggest priorities at Involver is to insulate our customers against these kinds of changes. We maintain greater than 250,000 applications on the industry’s most robust server infrastructure. We handle integration of the latest APIs and services, so our customers can focus on their priorities: brand-building and engaging with customers.

We also keep you up to date with the latest industry info, and help you prepare for changes like the one that just happened. For further info on what those changes entail, please read Changes to Facebook Pages – A Quick Guide.

Social media may still be in its formative stages, with the only constant being change itself, but our customers are already doing amazing things, with fan bases in the millions and an unprecedented level of engagement with their customers. They need to know that when Facebook decides to deprecate FBML in favor of iFrames or change its guidelines for image size, they’re not going to have to go back to the drawing board to redo all their pages.

Involver Apps Improve With the Changeover
We’ve been hearing a lot about pages and applications breaking down. Of course we do not wish that on anyone, whether they’re our customers or not. But we do think that when brands invest their time and money in a campaign, they have a right to expect things to hold up, no matter how big the campaign or what the changes to Facebook.

Over the course of this most recent Facebook “refresh,” we’ve added several new features to our apps, including the ability to add Like buttons to individual media within our applications. Here’s a before and after shot of what that looks like in our Flickr app:

Involver Flickr app before iFrames

Involver Flickr app after iFrames

And we’ve even created a new app to specifically address the changes to Facebook. In response to Facebook’s deprecation of its popular FMBL code, Involver launched a Static HTML app, which offers easiest way to render HTML in a Facebook iFrame and configure a fan page in just minutes. You can read about it in our blog post, An Alternative to FBML or download it by clicking here.

All in all, we’re excited about the changes to Facebook and we hope you are too. There’s never been a better time or a better way for brands to engage in the kinds of two-way interactivity that makes products stronger and customers more-satisfied. We hope you’ll continue to engage with us and our products, and keep sharing your questions and comments.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Involver Apps Keep Pace with Facebook iFrame Switch

As many of you will know from this blog and recent announcements, Facebook is replacing FBML with iFrames as its default mode for tab applications. While the change will enable users to create more consistency between their existing HTML web site designs and their Facebook fan pages, it does create a few challenges for brands switching over from FBML-based apps.

To ensure that our customers are able to meet this challenge and enjoy the benefits of the move to iFrames, Involver has taken the opportunity to improve the look and functionality of our applications created in SML™. We’ve also updated the application settings pages to make them easier to use.

Our roll out of upgrades will take place over the next couple of weeks, so don’t expect everything to change at once. Among the highlights:

• Improved look and feel for all Involver apps. Easier access to a greater number of apps.

• A self-serve version of our Promotion Gallery app will be available at the Professional level. This app allows users to create a gallery of fan pages ranked by Likes to cross promote pages.

• A new app called Scribd, which combines the functionality of Slides and PDFs.

For further information about iFrames and the changes on Facebook, which go into effect for all Facebook pages this Thursday, March 10, please refer to Facebook Drops FBML in Favor of iFrames – Advantages & Challenges and other recent blog posts. And continue to follow us here and on Facebook for more updates.

New System For Facebook Wall Posts – How It Works

Among the many changes to Facebook Fan Pages is the removal of chronological order as the default setting for Wall posts. What does it mean? Is there any wisdom to it? Are there advantages?

As with many Facebook changes, people are still catching up, and many who were satisfied with things as they were are upset with the removal of a system that seemed to make intuitive sense. Obviously, not every change Facebook makes is right. And if this one proves unfeasible it won’t be the first time Facebook has tried something then made adjustments to accommodate users. However, as most recent Facebook changes have been successful and clearly their intentions with this change were to improve the experience for users, it’s important to understand how it works first and explore the ways that it could actually be an improvement.

In a recent response to questions about the removal of chronological order on their developer forum, Facebook described the new system as “an algorithm determining popular and interesting content. Factors include how many friends are commenting on a certain piece of content, who posted the content, and what type of content it is (e.g., photo, video, or status update).”

Their use of the term algorithm brings to mind Google’s system for aggregating search content, and is perhaps an indication of where Facebook wants to go with this. Chronology clearly still plays a role, particularly for users visiting other Fan Page walls, where posts often still appear in a form very close to reverse chronology, with the occasional exception.

Options For Visitors & Page Admins
With so many different variables, it can be hard for users to understand how the logic works. This can be especially difficult for brands. Without accurate and timely notifications on posts, page moderation is INCREDIBLY difficult and cumbersome. While Facebook does provide email notifications to page admins when users post or comment, a more sophisticated way to manage a high volume of posts across multiple Fan Pages is to employ a tool such as Involver’s Audience Management Platform, which allows you to respond chronologically to comments/posts regardless their position on the Wall.

When using Facebook as your Page, there is still a way to toggle back to reverse chronological order for your News Feed. From your Home page, choose between Top News and Most Recent (see below).

The other new feature to Facebook Wall posts is the ability to choose between Everyone and Posts by Page, which means that as a visitor you can view only posts made by the Page admins, or from Everyone posting to this Wall (see below).

Admins can limit the ability of visitors to see other postings by choosing Only Posts By Page in their Wall Tab Shows under Manage Permissions, where they can also set filters for comments, media, age and profanity.

To change the settings for your Facebook Fan Page Wall, go to Manage Permissions:

For admins using Facebook as individuals, find this by clicking the Edit Page box that appears on the top right of your Fan PageFor admins using Facebook as their Page, find this by clicking on the top right of your Profile (not home) Page

Click the Edit Page box at the top rightMake sure you’re on the Manage Permissions page (highlighted in gray)Here you’ll find a range of filtering capabilitiesNext to Wall Tab Shows, choose between Everyone, and Only Posts By Page

Hopefully soon, Facebook will make it simple to access a complete range of view-by options as easily as we do on our desktops, windows or email programs. And while it’s difficult to understand and even more complicated to navigate this new system, think of this as a step in the right direction.

Facebook’s Sponsored Stories – What it is and How it Works For Brands

Facebook’s Sponsored Stories – What it is and How it Works For Brands

by Tyler Willis

Sponsored Stories is a new ad unit from Facebook that allows brands to extend the distribution of existing activities that users undertake with them on the network.

Let’s say you check in at a Starbucks; some of your 130 friends will see that. In most cases, the ones who see it will be the people who interact with you most frequently. If the update is popular and generates a large number of likes and comments, a higher percentage of your friends will see it.

Facebook’s new ad product allows Starbucks to pay for that same message being distributed inside of an ad unit to all of your 130 friends. The goal is to provide wider distribution and visibility to the updates and actions that you’ve taken, and allow that to hopefully influence your friends.

Basically, Starbucks wants to say: “Hey, people love going into Starbucks. They’re checking in on Facebook; they’re liking our updates.” Now they can actually buy ads from Facebook to highlight this. Historically, a brand could only put videos or content they created inside of ads – now they can leverage the true social conversation by highlighting content from users. Ads can have better social proof.

So now a brand can go to Facebook, buy a spot, and fill it with whatever actions their fans are taking. And it’s predicated on that action already existing in the network. This is not a new piece of content.

Facebook Sponsored Stories shows up inside of an ad unit on the right hand side of the page that is clearly marked as an ad unit, but contains the content of the actions you and your friends have taken.

Source: Inside Facebook

So if I checked in at Starbucks with a couple of my co-workers and wrote, “Man, really need a caffeine burst at 4 pm, love this Starbucks,” that could show up inside of an ad unit but only to people that already have a relationship with me on Facebook; only my friends would see it.

Opting Out

The question of opting in and out has caused a lot of friction in the media. There is no ability to opt out of having your actions used in Sponsored Stories, and this has drawn the ire of many commentators.

One vitriolic comparison being made is to Beacon, Facebook’s failed ad product from a few years back. Beacon reported users’ actions on the web back to their friends. For example, if I rented a movie from Blockbuster online, that could be pushed back into my Facebook news stream.

The comparison is an apt one, both products focus on helping brands use a consumer’s existing actions to reach their friends. But Sponsored Stories differs in that it is promoting a Facebook action, an interaction model that they’ve introduced and that you’ve used gets distributed to your friends.

One example of the distinction between the two ad products is that no one checks into a diamond store unless they want their girlfriend to see that they are planning to propose.

When I write a status update, I’m putting that content out for my friends to see by default. The brand is simply amplifying distribution so more of those friends see it.

I understand the negative reaction some people have to that, and no doubt we’ll hear more about that in the press – but that reaction happens with almost every ad product, and I don’t think it will de-rail Sponsored Stories’ success.

And while currently there is no way to opt out; I think Facebook may introduce one in the future – they have little to lose by allowing an opt-out option that most users won’t know about.

The Involver Perspective

At Involver, we built our brand on relationships with our customers, and now have over 150,000 companies and brands that use our platform. We’ve built our company without much paid advertising and very little traditional marketing. Instead, we’ve focused on creating content that engages people and connects them through word of mouth.

Prior to exploring Sponsored Stories for ourselves, we observed that while people like our Facebook Fan Page, leave great comments, or check in at our headquarters, it doesn’t really go as wide as it possibly could. A few of their friends might see a check in, depending on how close they are to a person, but that doesn’t make it very visible.

We started using Sponsored Stories as a way to amplify how people interact with us, because we know that when we tell that story at large, it’s going to make people want to work with us more, and learn more about our company. We see it as a really powerful tool to amplify content that already exists. It’s working very well for us.

If you’re considering Sponsored Stories for your brand, you want to first get some intelligence on how people are interacting with you in order to understand the message you’re amplifying. Because you don’t get to pick and choose just the positive reactions or just certain stories, you’re basically saying that any time someone has this type of interaction with you, you’re going to broadcast it out. And it doesn’t matter who it is, or whether the comment they wrote was, “Love this Starbucks,” or “Man I hate this place.”

Presumably, you already have some organic, interesting content, and people are already interacting with you in a positive way. We use our Audience Management Platform to gauge this. It’s a powerful way to monitor content, track sentiment, and add alerts to understand when people are posting spam or obscene content to our wall.

But more importantly, it allows us to track the tenor of the conversation. When people check in or write something, what are they saying? Is it positive? How do they feel about our brand? How do they feel about what we’re producing? We checked out sentiment reports from the last couple weeks and saw a very good engagement, very good numbers there, and that gave us the confidence to run Sponsored Stories.

Right now, to actually run a sponsored story, you have to contact your Facebook account manager or sales rep to set it up. However, it does appear that Sponsored Stories will be made available as self-serve, at least that is the word on the street, so even a smaller business or someone that doesn’t have a direct sales relationship with Facebook will be able to make use of it.

Choosing Which Social Actions to Amplify

Once you’ve selected which type of action you want to amplify (likes, check-ins, etc.), you decide how many impressions you’re going to buy and you’re done. From that point on, any story that meets those criteria will be amplified.

As a brand, the key thing to understand is that you have to monitor what content is being created, and know that you might end up amplifying some of the wrong brand messages, but as long as you’re keeping track of the trend and the overall tenor of the conversation, you can still move the needle incredibly effectively in a positive direction.

We live in a social world now and brands need to be comfortable with the fact that people are creating relationships with their friends, with brands, and with all kinds of ideas and concepts mixed in between, and the messaging can run the gamut from positive to negative. By tracking it, and learning the tools to properly amplify the channels with positive messages, brands can build massive social proof and social credibility.

Note: to succeed in this world, you have to actually create the positive messages first.

Facebook’s Mission & the Conversation “Out There”

You hear this phrase a lot: “People are already talking about your brand.” It’s probably the summary of 90% of talks given at social media conferences. “There’s a conversation out there about your brand, so you have to pay attention to it.” It is true, if not incredibly actionable.

With that said, we have some customers who enter into this world and find that the tone of the conversation going on about them isn’t positive. They might be a great company and providing a good service, but the primary reason people interact with them is to complain, to talk about customer service issues, or to highlight something they don’t like about the company’s practice.

It can be a struggle to figure out how to use social media when the conversation is negative. You may want to use all these cool tools, but you have to build the latticework first.

Sponsored Stories is an example of a tool that rewards companies who have taken the necessary steps to build good feeling — you need good social proof before you can use it inside of an ad unit. And honestly, that’s what Sponsored Stories is; providing social proof inside of an ad unit.

Sponsored Stories gives us a look into what future Facebook ad products will look like. Facebook’s stated mission is to connect people with more information and to make information more transparent. Sponsored Stories is a pretty good blending of that mission with the reality of needing to make money. This type of advertising rewards businesses who invest in things like building relationships with their customers, and good customer service.

A Final Note on Beacon

There are elements of Beacon that have kind of been torn apart and remixed into Sponsored Stories, and while Beacon was a failure, it’s original mission was a step in the right direction. I think Sponsored Stories is going to be a clear winner, risen from Beacon’s ashes.

As we start to explore the types of actions that can be fed into this type of ad unit, such as liking open graph outlets on a website, or leaving a comment on a Facebook comment stream in a widget or blog post, I think we’ll see more and more natively social actions work their way into those sidebars, and I think we’ll see Facebook continue to innovate in this area, including rolling Sponsored Stories out in a self-serve manner.

Small businesses, pay attention to that last line. When that happens, you will benefit disproportionately because you are already operating under a LEDRR marketing model that creates the types of relationships that easily translate to online social proof. Also see Tyler Willis, Slideshare, A Brief History of Marketing.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Changes to Facebook Pages – A Quick Guide

Facebook announced major changes today to its Pages, bringing them closer to individual user profiles in their look and functionality. We’re excited about these updates, as they will improve the ability of our customers to connect with audiences. The changes impact the user experience visually, giving a more compelling look and feel to Pages; functionally, allowing brands and companies to operate more the way individual users do; but also by greatly increasing your ability to build richer application experiences using iFrames. In addition to having applications that perform better, brands will also have greater flexibility in the way they name them.

The changes go into effect for all Facebook Pages on March 10, which gives you four weeks to preview the new format and switch over at any time before then. The changes will certainly enhance the visibility, access to, and effectiveness of Involver applications, but it’s important to learn how they work in order to make the most of this exciting new look and feel. Below is a map of the new features, followed by an additional summary of the changes, many of which we expected:

1-Photo strip above the Wall (with the most recent photos you posted or tagged) TIP: To optimize your photos size them to 96x67px in order to fit in the space provided and plan for them to be in random order.
2-Tabs move over to the left panel, in the form of a list (maximum of 6 above the fold)
3-Profile picture reduced from 200 x 600 pixels to 180 x 540
4-Blurb box that was below the Page picture moved to info tab
5-Pages can Like other Pages, not just favorite them
6-Featured Pages and Admins
7-Page category
8-Choice for Wall posts between “Everyone” and Page posts only
9-Mutual Friends and Interests section
10-Ability to interact on Facebook as your Page
11-Ability for admins to post and comment around the site under their Page’s alias
12-News feed of updates from Liked Pages
13-Pages can now feature iFrame tab applications
14-Email notifications when users post or comment

Note, very important: at the top of your Page is a prompt, which allows you to preview the new layout first but once you upgrade, there is no way to revert back to the old design.

Photo Strip Instead of Tabs Above the Wall
The replacement of tabs with the photo strip at the top adds a dynamic, colorful element that will significantly improve the look of the average Facebook Page. The photos are drawn from the most recent ones you posted to your Wall and those you tagged, but does not include photos posted by fans. Users can hide undesirable photos. The new left nav placement of tabs also allows for longer tab names.

Expanded Functionality For Fan Page Admins
By enabling Fan Page admins to comment in the name of the page itself and to interact with other Fan pages, Facebook has finally made it possible for brands to truly engage in tremendous interactive engine which powered its growth among individuals. Your power as a page administrator is increased in a number of other ways, including the ability to set filters on your Wall so that visitors see relevant posts first, and to view all the content and get notices whenever someone posts to your wall.

Involver Customers
Overall, the changes announced today represent a huge advance in the ability for brands to create rich, individualized experiences for their audiences. For Involver customers, this means enhanced functionality in all the applications you’re used to using and a far more engaging experience on Facebook overall. Still, we recommend that you preview the new look by clicking preview at the top of your Page before making the changes, as you will not be able to go back once you’ve made the update.

Finally, you should review the new policies. While many applications like Flash will now function better on your Page, Facebook’s restrictions require you to limit their functionality until a user interacts with it. As always, should you have any concerns about these changes, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Involver Announces Improvements to the Analytics Features in Our Audience Management Platform

Involver is proud to announce some stunning new improvements to the analytics capability of our Audience Management Platform. Thanks to the very diligent work of our engineering and product development teams, users can now access a rich array of information on messages published both by and about their brands, and monitor trends across numerous categories, including Fan Pages, individual Facebook applications, messaging on Twitter and the Open Web.

We’ve focused on making your data actionable with interactive graphs, the ability to drill down into the data and to compare data sets. Users can graph out 20 individual metrics related to publishing, monitoring, applications and page content. Watch a quick demo of the upgraded analytics experience below:

As the video shows, you can now access data in a range of new ways, make month-by-month comparisons, compare daily changes, and get instant access to specific metrics that are highlighted beneath the main graph with quick links and spark lines.

This is just the beginning of a series of analytics improvements that we’ll be launching in the next few months. Next up will be an expanded set of application analytics. As before, it still possible to export to third party analytics tools.

We’ll be rolling this out to all our accounts over the next two months, starting with Enterprise clients. If it hasn’t been rolled out to your account and you’re at the Enterprise Level, please feel free to drop your account manager a note.

We look forward to your feedback. Stay tuned for more feature updates.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

DIGIDAY:DAILY - Online Video Turns up the Heat on TV Ad Budget

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Taxman Cometh in 2011 for Online Entrepreneurs

Since the dawn of the Internet, small retailers have lived in a magical, tax-free bubble. First off, they didn't collect sales tax -- an advantage that is likely to be gone shortly, with the inevitable approval of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement currently before Congress. Some individual states aren't waiting and are already pressing for sales-tax collection on online sales.

But even more, small e-tailers didn't pay income tax. Ecommerce platforms such as PayPal were not obligated to send the IRS reports on its users' income. It was, as they say at the casinos, a cash business. If you neglected to mention on your tax return your income from selling ebooks or garage-sale merchandise you put on eBay, the IRS was none the wiser. You were under the radar.

For anyone who makes even a modest amount selling online, that income-tax holiday ends this year. Unlike the new rule demanding a 1099 form for every vendor you pay at least $600, there's no outlook that income-tax reporting for ecommerce sales will be repealed. It's here to stay.

Here's what you need to know:

Starting this year, PayPal, Amazon Payments, and other similar electronic-payment platforms are obligated will begin reporting to the IRS any account that earned more than $20,000 selling more than 200 individual items. Banks and debit-card providers will also be sending forms recording income that flowed into merchant accounts.

Why is this happening? Our government needs money to help dig us out of debt, and taxing previously hidden revenue is one of the IRS's top priorities. Of the $290 billion in unpaid taxes the IRS estimates our nation is owed each year, 40 percent is attributed to underreported taxes that should have been paid by small businesses and the self-employed. The agency is out to fix a lot of that problem by starting to capture income tax from ecommerce sales.

Translation: Anyone with even a serious part-time ecommerce business they're running on the side is going to be getting a 1099 next year about this time. If you are self-employed and haven't been paying income tax on this revenue, you need to learn about self-employment tax. That's the type of tax you'll owe on your online income.

You may be able to pay annually your first year, but after that you'll have to estimate and pay tax on ecommerce revenue quarterly, based on your sales this year.

Take a look at your tax rate from last year and the amount you made selling online. Do the math, and you've got a guesstimate of what you will owe. Plan accordingly, whether it's raising your prices, finding cheaper vendors, cutting other expenses, or finding ways to sell more to make up for what you'll lose in taxes.

While e-tailers may be steamed at this new 1099 requirement -- which was shoehorned into the healthcare reform bill -- traditional retailers are no doubt breathing a huge sigh of relief. A very unlevel playing field will take a big step toward getting level again when PayPal starts sending 1099s.

Will the new income-tax law for ecommerce sales affect you? Leave a comment and let us know your reaction.

Will U.S. Retailers Kill the Plastic Bag?

Plastic bags have a bad reputation as wasteful and harmful to the environment. The argument is that they're usually made with petroleum products, animals can choke on them and they litter landfills.

I can testify to that last point -- I once wrote an article about where Seattle's trash goes, and followed the train out beyond The Dalles, Ore., to the dump. The plastic bags are the first thing you see, rolling like tumbleweeds out of every dumpload and sticking in clumps to the fences.

Still, most American retailers continue to hand them out to customers. But some forecast that tradition may soon come to an end.Europe is often ahead of us in eco-trends, and many plastic-bag laws are already in place there. Ireland started charging customers 15 cents a bag back in 2002, with the result that their use plummeted. China joined in 2008.

Last month, Italy banned the bags outright, joining Mexico City. Stores can use up their supply, and then that's it. GreenBiz.com reported other European retailers are in an uproar and fear they may have to make the switch next.

Several U.S. cities have banned plastic bags, including San Francisco; Brownsville, Texas; Westport, Conn. and Edmonds, Wash. When Washington D.C. instituted a 5-cent-per-bag fee last year, use fell by 85 percent in a month.

The question is, will U.S. retailers fight this trend to the bitter end and wait for regulations to force them to change, or will they voluntarily move toward paper and sturdy reusable bags? I've seen many stores switch to offer reusable bags. Others credit customers for each reusable cloth bag they bring to the store to incentivize their use and cut their plastic-bag use.

Whatever your feelings about the environment, plastic bags are a cost for retail stores, large and small. Many are issuing branded reusable bags instead -- which seems like a good marketing move. Retailers have a chance to take the high road now and win customer loyalty. At the same time, the plastic bags can be convenient, as the paper bags can rip, use trees, and it's harder to carry many bags all at once.

This battle may be fought on in the U.S. for a long time, with laws differing from city to city. That makes problems for regional or national chains, which may have to offer different bags in different stores.

The thing that sticks with me is, somehow, everyone in the world got their marketing done without these bags for centuries. They've been in common use perhaps 50-60 years at most. Retailers don't have much to lose by getting rid of them, and stand to gain much in positive vibes, especially from eco-conscious customers.

If you're a retailer, how do you handle the paper-or-plastic issue? Leave a comment and let us know.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Obama Proposal Aims to Cut Unemployment Tax Payments

The idea of raising taxes in the midst of what continues to be a rocky time for small businesses is understandably anathema to many entrepreneurs. After all, keeping the doors open and the lights on is hard enough as the unemployment rate continues to hover around 9 percent and many shoppers are still pinching their pennies.

On the flip side, forcing states to pony up for unemployment spending might eventually cause an unwanted financial impact for business owners.

So far, 30 states have exhausted their unemployment insurance trust funds and have already borrowed an estimated $41 billion from the federal government to help jobless residents pay their bills, according to a report released yesterday from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the National Employment Law Project. That tally is expected to reach a record $65 billion by 2013, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

So what does all this mean? Employers of all sizes could face a significant increase in their tax bills.

Here's how: To repay the principal on those loans, federal unemployment insurance taxes on employers are set to rise automatically in a number of states this year or in 2012, and tick up higher over the next few years, according to the joint study. The minimum taxable wage base in 18 states has already risen to $15,000 from $7,000 where the wage base has been for decades.

But President Barack Obama has a plan -- which he expects to detail in his 2012 budget due out next week -- to give employers and states a much needed break by deferring those federal loan interest payments into 2014. He also proposes to postpone automatic tax increases for two years.

Response to the proposal has been mixed. Some republicans are against it since they say a number of states will be forced to raise unemployment taxes on businesses in the future. Meanwhile, a number of think tanks have thrown their support either behind the President's plan or similar reforms citing bigger problems if nothing gets done.

Indeed, with this proposal, small-business owners in states that owe the government money can avoid paying $5 billion to $7 billion in higher federal unemployment insurance taxes before the end of 2013, and $16 billion to $24 billion over the next five years, said the joint study.

Is President Obama on to something with this? What's your take?

Benchmarking Facebook Ads

If you've been sinking a portion of your marketing dollars into Facebook advertising the past year or so, you might be wondering how that online advertising is paying off for you. And with Facebook ads expected to pull in more than $2 billion from U.S. advertisers and $4 billion worldwide this year, you shouldn't feel like the Lone Ranger. It appears most brands that advertise on Facebook haven't been able to assess how their campaigns are performing, according to Webtrends.

To remedy that problem, the Portland, Oregon-based web analytics and social marketing company analyzed more than 11,000 campaigns serving 4.5 billion impressions on Facebook that logged 2.2 million clicks, focusing on such metrics as click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), cost per thousand (CPM), and cost per fan (CPF).

Not surprisingly, advertisers got fewer clicks for their buck in 2010 compared with 2009, with demand for ads and audience sophistication prompting ad prices to climb. For instance, the average click-through rate in 2009 was 0.063 percent at 27 cents per click, compared with an 0.051 percent CTR at a 49-cent cost-per-click rate the following year. That means forward-thinking marketers can save money by building their Facebook campaigns now, thus taking advantage of rates that are only going to climb higher later.

Meanwhile the cost per thousand - the amount Facebook charges advertisers for an ad to be displayed 1,000 times -- averaged 17 cents in 2009 compared to 25 cents per thousand in 2010. And while figures aren't available for the cost per fan in 2009, that price tag was $1.07 for each fan who clicked through in 2010, according to Webtrends.

Most interesting perhaps is the finding that the older we get, the more likely we are to open ads, with the most Facebook ad clickers peaking at the ages of 55 to 64. Furthermore, women are more likely to click onto ads than men.

As for geographic targeting, it appears location has little to do with the rate at which people click on ads on Facebook, with the exception of Hawaii -- which has a click-through rate that is half that of most states -- and North Dakota and Wyoming, where CTRs are double and triple (respectively) the national norm. I can only assume that the island folks have a lot more activities to contend with than those in the two landlocked states.

Webtrends' analysis also shows that search ads (ads placed on pages displaying search results) can successfully run for months because there will always be new people searching for terms related to the ad.

Finally, it appears social brands see higher click-through rates, which Facebook rewards with a lower cost per click and greater visibility. That makes perfect sense when you consider most folks visit Facebook because it's a hoot. As a result, ads that are social in nature -- and are fun to engage with -- experience higher click-through rates.

Why You Should Give Your Business Away This Year

I've got a couple of cheery topics for you today -- death and taxes.

Try to stay with me for a minute, though, because there's some really important news out that could help you hang onto your business and keep it in the family. You may know that the federal inheritance tax has been a political football for years -- it goes up, it goes down, the rules change with each administration and lately, with each and every year.

It happens that this year and next, the inheritance terms are pretty favorable. The top tax rate is 35 percent (it was 45 percent last year). Also, the business value exempt from tax is $5 million, up from $3.5 million.

After 2012, at the moment, the rules go back to much less favorable, pre-Bush-era rates: Only $1 million in exemption and the top tax rate is a whopping 55 percent. At least that's how it stands at the moment.

How does this news help you if you don't plan to leave this life in the next 23 months?

You can shrink the size of your estate while you're still around. Now's the time to consider giving away hunks of your business, while you're still alive.

That can reduce the value of your estate in the future. And that ups the odds that your family business will be able to stay in the family, not sold off to pay a big tax bill.

You can give interests in the business -- tax-free -- to family members of up to $13,000 in value annually, or $26,000 if you're a married couple and both agree to the transfer. You can retain majority interest in your business while reducing the value of your estate.

There's also a special provision that shrinks the value of the equity you gift to family members, based on the idea that their minority ownership doesn't give them much control of the business and isn't very marketable as an asset. So you may be able to give away a bigger chunk than you think, all tax-free.

Whatever you decide, work with a knowledgeable tax planner. With the endless uncertainty on what the estate-tax rates will be in the future, you'll need to plan carefully and possibly update your plans as rules change.

Will you give away part of your business this year? Let us know your estate plans.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Putting Small Business on 'Fast Track' to Job Creation

Many small-business owners have been unable to hire new workers over the past couple years. It's a problem that has contributed to our still-high unemployment rate. No real answer has emerged on how to get small businesses in a position to hire again.

One program that's working is from the ever-entrepreneurial Kauffman Foundation. New York City tried out its FastTrac NewVenture initiative recently -- and the results may offer a ray of hope.

Here's how the program works:

FastTrac offers several programs tailored to help entrepreneurs at all points in their journey. "FirstStep" is for people thinking about starting a business, "NewVenture" aims to assist new businesses that have launched, "TechVenture" is geared toward tech businesses and "GrowthVenture" aims to help existing businesses to thrive.

The courses are 30 hours of instruction and cost $1,200 -- but in many cases municipalities or local organizations may sponsor all or part of the cost.

FastTrac has been around for 17 years, but since the downturn has seen an explosion in interest and has added more locations where the courses are taught. There are more than 200 universities and community organizations that offer FastTrac.

There's proof that it works, too: In a major initiative, the city of New York has seen 1,000 entrepreneurs go through FastTrac program at SUNY's Levin Institute since 2008. The results: The Institute estimates 300 jobs were created.

Among the New York alumni, 33 percent launched a business within six months of completing NewVenture, and nearly 90 percent of the businesses are still operating. For those who went through the GrowthVenture program, more than half grew their business within six months, and over 90 percent continued to operate.

Results were similarly positive in Michigan last year, where more than 800 people took the NewVenture course through local Small Business & Technology Development Centers. Participants helped start 560 businesses. More than 240 jobs were created and another 143 retailed.

The SBTDC also helped raise more than $3 million in capital for the participants. So the course can also help connect entrepreneurs to funding.

This is all great news, since small-business job creation is a proven engine of economic growth. The Kauffman's research data from 1980-2004 showed that firms less than five years old account for all net job growth in the U.S.

Besides being offered at local universities and through other providers, entrepreneurs can take the programs online through Kaplan University.

What will you do to make your business grow in 2011? Leave a comment and let us know your strategy.

'Do Not Track' Legislation Could Impact Your Business

Members of Congress are expected to introduce privacy bills this week that would require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to initiate a Do Not Track registry for online advertisers. Such legislation could ultimately have an effect on entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes that rely on certain types of online marketing -- especially retargeting (also known as behavioral remarketing) -- to generate leads and close more sales online.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) says her bill would enable consumers to "just say no" to advertisers who are in the habit of tracking their online activities, building consumer profiles and delivering ads that are tailored specifically to consumers who -- in many cases -- are completely unaware they are being electronically stalked.

Speier's office worked on the legislation with a number of privacy advocates including Consumer Watchdog, the Consumer Federation of American, Consumers Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, among others. And the proposed law has garnered the support of the FTC, which says Do Not Track legislation could go a long way toward protecting consumers whose every visit on the Internet is possibly being shadowed by network advertisers.

Furthermore, the agency suggests that such a Do Not Track system be established that simplifies a consumer's ability to throw potential advertisers off their online track. Right now, a consumer can't opt out of many of the multitude of third-party tracking services and ad networks out there. And those advertisers that do let consumers off the hook require that they set -- not delete -- a cookie to opt out. The problem with this solution is if consumers clear out all of their browser's cookies, the opt-out cookies that they worked so hard to establish also get wiped out.

But with Do Not Track technology, the consumer is offered a single, constant setting to opt out of all web tracking. It adds a header indicating that the consumer doesn't want to be tracked by advertisers. In this way, it avoids the complex challenges that come with compiling, updating and sharing a registry of tracking services or web users. Consumers can beg off such personalized advertising from ad networks one time and that opt-out becomes permanent. Much like the Do Not Call registry, this FTC recommendation gives consumers a clear-cut, easy-to-understand method of getting off of the data-tracking highway.

This pressure by legislators and regulators has prompted both Google and Mozilla to create new software for their browsers (Chrome and Firefox) in an effort at self-regulation. Both companies are looking over their shoulders, knowing full well that privacy protection is one of those rare items that garner support from both sides of the aisle.

For instance, Mozilla recently announced plans to incorporate a Do Not Track feature into Firefox 4.1, its next browser release, while Google has announced a new privacy program that enables consumers to not only opt out of such tracking, but to personalize ads they might be interested in seeing, if any.

Stay tuned to Entrepreneur and Daily Dose for updates on Do Not Track-related developments that could impact the way your startup or business markets online.

10 Tips for Working Trade Shows

Aren't trade shows supposed to be dead? More than a decade ago, with the rise of the Internet, many predicted trade shows would go the way of the dodo.
But instead, they've flourished. I think people long for personal contact more than ever in our era of Webinars, video calling, and instant messages. Also, the more global business becomes, the more convenient it is to meet everyone at a trade show in Las Vegas or Boston, rather than trying to see customers one at a time. So, no surprise trade-show organizers report stable revenue, even through the downturn.

Still, it's a serious financial commitment, and it's hard to know whether attending a particular trade show will be worth the expense.

I've been to dozens of trade shows over the years. Here are my tips for how to decide which ones to attend and get the most out of the ones you choose:

Review the speaker list. Are these thought leaders you respect?

Look at the attendee list. An online registration page will often show you who has signed up. I recently did this with a convention I'm considering and immediately spotted people I would love to spend time with in person.

Check out the seminar list. What are the topics? A single great session that answers business questions you have could make the whole trip worthwhile.

Consider renting a booth. Yes, it costs a bundle. But a booth can be a home base for your team and it can leave a big impression on attendees. For instance, entrepreneur Scott Friedman of SoulR Products in Hermosa Beach, Calif., bet $75,000 on a booth at the recent Consumer Electronics Show to introduce a new, high-quality speaker. His haul? More than 700 business cards to follow up on, a few orders, and solid connections with major retail chains.

Schedule appointments. If there are important people to see, don't wait until you get to the trade show to set up a time to chat. Arrive with a schedule.

Eat lunch for two hours. When I want to meet a lot of people at trade shows, I hit the food court around 11:30. I sit down at a table, and then as others sit down, chat them up. I often stay until 2 p.m. or so. People are a a captive audience once they sit down and most are pretty amenable and friendly when they're at lunch.

See booths systematically. You can save a lot of time and shoe leather if you have a logical game plan for visiting booths.

Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. You want to project positive energy, so make sure you don't have tired feet or a pinching waistband. I did years of trade shows in a fabulous turquoise silk suit that had a hidden elastic waist. I felt like a million bucks and was completely comfy.

Watch your liquor consumption. I think everyone who's ever been to a trade show has a story about watching an executive who got too drunk at a mixer event. Keep it professional, even in the event's "off hours."

Follow up and connect. The real work starts when you get home. If you just throw all those business cards in a drawer, the trip may well have been a waste. Find creative ways to follow up -- connect on LinkedIn or Twitter, send prospects an interesting article. Develop ways to stay in touch that go beyond saying, "Why don't you buy something from me?"

Going to any trade shows in 2011? Leave a comment and let us know.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Report: Business Optimism Still a Mixed Bag

Navigating the ups and downs of the economy and the credit markets over the last few years has been a lot like riding one long roller coaster for many small-business owners. But confidence looks to be on the rise, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. The group announced today that its Index of Small Business Optimism cycled up 1.5 points last month, reaching 94.1 -- the highest it's been since the beginning of the economic recession.

Industries such as manufacturing and exporting, which aren't necessarily labor intensive, are "leading the recovery," NFIB chief economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a statement. But while small-business optimism might be climbing out from the depths, the results were blunted by a general skepticism about the future and a continued hesitancy to spend and hire.

Indeed, the report says job creation continued to decline in January, with the average employment change per firm dropping to -0.15 employees over the last three months. In terms of capital spending, the NFIB says small business remain in "maintenance mode" and are generally still unwilling to risk making new investments and/or don't see a need for them. Earnings expectations improved 6 points to -28 percent, but the majority of respondents indicated that earnings are in fact deteriorating quarter-on-quarter.

The NFIB says that while owners reported higher nominal sales over the last three months (up 5 points for a net -11 percent), sales trends overall "do not appear supportive of a widespread recovery in the small business sector."

The NFIB's Index of Small Business Optimism was based on responses from more than 2,100 randomly sampled small businesses in the organization's membership, which were surveyed during the month of January.

What about your small business? Are earnings up, flat or on the decline? What's your take on the market's recovery?