Small Business Computing Staff

Small Business Trends: Solving The Groupon Puzzle For Small Businesses Groupon was first hailed as a great new small business marketing tool, then exposed as a flawed vehicle. Susan Payton shows how you can get around the problems and exploit the potential of online couponing. “The first wave of reaction from retailers to Groupon was […]

Open Forum: Roundup: Small Business Webinar Tools A webinar is a great way to teach customers (and prospects) about your products. TJ McCue looks at five free or inexpensive tools for putting webinars together and posting them. “Speaking to groups is a great way to share your expertise and market your services. But it doesn’t […]

PCWorld: Review – CloudMagic Instant Search Browser Plugin CloudMagic puts a search bar at the top of Google Mail and Google Docs browser windows and lets you search your cloud-stored content very quickly. “CloudMagic, the free browser extension (available for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox) that brings super-speedy search to Gmail and Google Apps E-mail, […]

Small Business Trends: Take a blog post and develop it for different social media sites to generate additional traffic, Susan Payton suggests. Adapt it for article distribution websites, turn it into a video and a slide presentation and post it, then talk it up on Facebook and Twitter. “A picture may be worth a thousand […]

PC World: Review: T-Mobile G-Slate Tablet Computer PC World reviewer Melissa J. Perenson liked the Android-based T-Mobile G-Slate’s in-between size – bigger than a 7-inch, smaller than an iPad at 8.9 inches – but says it’s too expensive at $750 without contract. At 8.9 inches (diagonal), the T-Mobile G-Slate is the first tablet to hit […]

Small Business Trends: The Power Of Contests In Social Media Marketing David Cotriss shows how Docker used its online Wear the Pants contest to generate interest in the brand and make it seem cooler, and offers tips on how small businesses can emulate the bigger company’s success. “Contests and promotions have been a popular form […]

ITBusinessEdge: How To Manage Multiple Wi-Fi Access Points Paul Mah runs through the various options for managing multiple-access point wireless networks, including using thin access points, thick access points, virtual controllers and cloud-based controllers. “I wrote about building a wireless LAN for your SMB yesterday, where I talked about the need for a dedicated WLAN […]

Entrepreneur: Using Video To Market Your Small Business Gail Goodman of Constant Contact, an email and social media marketing firm, offers suggestions on types of videos small businesses can use to market their wares, and tips on how to make and distribute them. “The average Internet user watches an astounding 186 videos a month, according […]

PCmag@Work (Small Business): Local + Cloud Storage With Netgear-Egnyte NAS Line The new Netgear ReadyNAS Pro products allow small businesses to store data locally on the NAS but also automatically back it up to the cloud using the Egnyte service. “Cloud file server provider Egnyte and Netgear have teamed up to deliver Netgear ReadyNAS Pro […]

ITBusinessEdge: Building An SMB Wireless LAN: Key Decision Points Paul Mah guides SMBs through the process of implementing a wireless LAN, focusing on key decision points such as security, network density, frequency band and how you’ll access point management. “I wrote about common Wi-Fi misconceptions earlier this week to address common mistakes made by businesses […]

Small Business Trends: Research: Proof Social Media Is Effective For SMBs Lisa Barone reports on research from Social Media Examiner showing that small and medium businesses in particular believe they are seeing increased exposure and sales from using social media. Want some good news for your Wednesday? How’s this: If you’re a small business owner […]

Open Forum: 8 Great Social Collaboration Tools For Small Business Social collaboration refers to using social media tools for internal business communications. Leyl Master Black found eight tools ideal for small business, including Campfire, Presentl.y and Yammer. “Social networks have revolutionized the way people communicate and collaborate—not only among friends and family, but also in […]