Gerry Blackwell

Online backup is a great idea; your data is stored offsite, most services let you set up automatic, unattended backups. And you can restore data from any computer connected to the Internet. You do have to trust the company you’re dealing with, though, and many of the companies offering online backup services for small businesses […]

When Drew Freedman launched his now wildly successful Boston Bodyworker massage clinic in 1999, the seemingly simple task of booking client appointments quickly became the bane of his existence. Today, Freedman has two locations, one downtown at Copley Square, the other in Back Bay, with 16 employees, including 12 massage therapists, an acupuncturist and a […]

The Iomega Rev 120GB Backup Drive, the third generation of the company’s popular removable hard disk backup technology, is a compelling alternative for small businesses considering tape or other options for offsite backup and archiving. Introduced in early April and available now, the Rev 120GB can read new, larger-capacity 120 GB disks thanks to a […]

The complex art and science of search engine marketing (SEM) has, almost overnight, become an essential skill set for any company that hopes to succeed at e-commerce. It’s a fact that Backcountry Edge, a four-year-old online purveyor of high-end hiking and camping gear, learned early on. So the company was quick to sign up last […]

For years, virtual network operator and Wi-Fi hotspot aggregator iPass Inc., has been selling its services to enterprises, usually with multi-user, long-term contracts. The core service is mobile high-speed Internet access using connectivity provided by iPass’s several service partners, which include operators of thousands of Wi-Fi hotspot and hotel Ethernet locations as well as 3G […]

“It’s not for everyone,” is almost the first thing entrepreneur Jennifer Walzer told me about Back Up My Info, the online backup service she launched five years ago, and that I test drove recently. She repeated this more than once. It’s not that Walzer thinks some small businesses can afford not to back up. Far […]

Just because you run a tiny high-touch, small-town business doesn’t mean you have to forego the benefits of automation. Some people would even argue it’s all the more reason for automating to the hilt. Kimberly Kennedy, owner of The Silver Basket, a gift basket shop in Presque Isle, Maine, may be the ultimate case in […]

Branding these days is everything, or just about everything. Which is why the investors behind Phone.com LLC, a new provider of virtual PBX and voice over Internet services, were willing to pay big bucks for the coveted domain name. The firm is billing itself as The New Phone.Company. Cute. Luckily for small business owners, there’s […]

It takes a village to raise a child, according to the old African proverb. So what does it take to shape a successful entrepreneurial venture? Perhaps something like Zana Network, a virtual village for small and medium-size businesses, especially new companies interested in tapping the global marketplace. According to the Web site, it’s “one-stop menu […]

New Web conferencing services seem to pop up almost on a monthly basis these days, inspired perhaps by the global success of Skype on the one hand, but its failure to seize the business market opportunity on the other. We take a look at two services that have in fact been around for a while—SightSpeed […]

Mid-size and large enterprises are rushing to adopt collaboration tools such as Microsoft Office SharePoint and IBM’s Lotus Notes with Quickr – and with good reason. These programs help distributed teams communicate more effectively, manage projects and shared materials, while saving companies travel costs and reducing travel-related productivity losses. Implementing SharePoint or Notes is probably […]

Virtually every major Wi-Fi equipment vendor now offers network routers and adapters based on version 2.0 of the 802.11 Draft N standard. SMC Network, which sometimes gets unjustly overlooked, is no exception. SMC last year introduced the Barricade N ProMax Draft 11n Wireless 4-port Gigabit Broadband Router (about $160), an all-in-one device that can function […]