Lauren Simonds

Faced with a challenging economy and painfully tight credit, small businesses need alternative sources of cash – both to keep the doors open and to stay competitive in a an increasingly tough market. The financial subsidiaries of technology vendors, such as Dell or HP, are good sources of alternative funding. But another such source that […]

Document sharing and workspace collaboration is a hot trend in the small business market. It’s driven by small businesses that need an affordable way for employees, clients, customers and vendors to communicate and work together across varied geographical locations. Central Desktop, a Web-based (SaaS) collaboration platform that allows companies to schedule and manage daily work […]

Microsoft today released its first-annual Microsoft SMB Insight report, a study designed to look at the challenges and technology priorities facing small businesses. The study surveyed more than 600 of its Small Business Specialists in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France and Brazil. The Specialists surveyed, all local VARS serving small-to-midsized businesses, identified the issues […]

When facing uncertain economic times, investing in new technology can often feel like a crapshoot – even when that technology stands to save you both time and money. That’s why the makers of Fishbowl Inventory for QuickBooks, an inventory management application – decided to offer a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee to all of its new […]

If you’re looking for affordable ways to attract and retain customers – and these days, who isn’t – an e-mail marketing campaign makes a great addition to your business arsenal; but where to start? Mélanie Attia, the product-marketing manager for Campaigner, spoke recently at the Small Business Summit in New York City and presented 10 […]

We often hear how small business drives the American economy, that it creates 90 percent of new jobs in the U.S, how it’s the engine that keeps America strong. But the Federal bailout trough seems reserved for corporate giants, and it makes you wonder, where can a small business go to catch a break? Intuit […]

The whole point of technology is to make life better, and when it comes to your business, a good tech product should relieve the pain of onerous tasks and free you up to actually run your business. That’s not exactly a newsflash, but then again, not every tech tool delivers on that promise. Mike Stokes […]

In a credit market as arid as the Mojave Desert in August, news of HP’s zero-interest small-business financing is a welcome as a spring rain. Available through HP Financial Services, the two programs are designed to help small companies invest in technology, increase efficiencies and grow their business. The U.S. economy presets a serious challenge […]

Every business owner knows the expression “think outside the box,” and while creative convention-breaking can deliver more customers and bigger profits, it’s not always easy to escape the more traditional marketing mindset. Enter Andrew Lock, a British import bent on helping small business owners increase profits through unconventional marketing methods that help them stand out […]

Calling it the biggest interface change in more than 10 years, FileMaker, Inc today released the latest version of its respected database software, FileMaker Pro 10. The software takes on a more dramatic look and feel designed, the company said, to streamline navigation, improve workflow and incorporate time-saving shortcuts. The company made the changes based […]

Is there any small business owner who isn’t interested in saving money? One of the promises of technology is to help you do just that – although at times that promise seems elusive and even goes unfulfilled. One reason that can happen is a lack of good communication between the technology vendor and the small […]

PayCycle, Inc., today announced the 2009 version of its online payroll service that features new tools and features designed to eliminate barriers that small businesses face when considering a move to online payroll. The biggest barrier to starting online payroll is the setup process. According to the PayCycle, other services rely on form-based interfaces, interview […]