Small Business Computing Staff

by Angela R. Garber It’s not illogical to assume that a company with a name like Automationdirect.com knows a thing or two about using computers to keep business processes going. But just because a company knows how to automate one thing ­ in this case conveyor belts and the systems that operate them ­ it […]

by Bonny L. Georgia Here’s a hellish phone message: “Sorry I can’t take your call right now. I’ve just changed offices and we’re still waiting for the phone guy to show up and make the switch. Just leave a message, and I’ll get back to you ­ well, hopefully someday.” Until recently that disruption in […]

by Angela R. Garber Bizzed.com is the perfect specimen of that not-so-rare creature known as the small-business portal ­ one of many sites claiming to offer small businesses one-stop-shopping for news, supplies, and every business function under the sun. Bizzed is a service of e-Citi, the Internet group of Citibank, and the site has used […]

by Michele Marrinan When John and Vicki Dohrmann decided in 1998 to sell Therapy Solutions, their small therapy staffing agency in Edmonds, Wash., John did a lot of online research himself. He used search engines to find industry sites, potential buyers’ Web sites, and industry journals. “I can’t imagine not having the Internet as a […]

by David Haskin Take a close look at what employees are doing with office technology, and you’re bound to be disappointed. Several studies have found that the majority of bids on auction sites such as eBay occur during working hours. Similarly, most hits at pornography sites occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Survey the […]

by Robert J. Wagman Congress will likely pass at least one tax bill this year, and if 50 members of Congress have their way, small-business phone bills will be a little lower in the future. A bipartisan group, led by Reps. Robert Matsui (D.-Calif.) and Rob Portman (R.-Ohio), is attempting to repeal a special 3-percent […]

by David G. Propson With the Web, it’s easier than ever to do business internationally – and it’s still pretty darn hard. Even when the technological hurdles are removed, there are still many differences in culture, law, and economics to overcome. Many businesses are only now encountering these problems. Subtle differences in culture can cause […]

by Robert J. Wagman If you do business on the Internet and collect information about customers, you’d better pay attention. A number of bills passed and pending in Congress will limit how you will be able to use that information, how you can gather it, and what you must tell your customers. * The Children’s […]

by Jamie McAfee & Liz Levy Toys of SummerB As summer swings into high gear, thoughts turn to weekend outings, backyard-barbecues, and frolics on the beach. It’s time to look for technology gadgets that make work more simple and convenient. From the slickest flat panel monitors to the best priced multimedia notebooks, these items will […]

by Mark Sorkin Where there’s the Web, there are ads. And now that the Web has gone wireless, those ads may start to beep in your pocket. Mobile Internet advertising is here, and its buzz is growing louder. Until now, mobile advertising has kept under the radar, often taking the form of plain-old e-mail spam. […]

by Robert Richardson In the world of traditional sales, few tactics are as common as cross-selling and up-selling. Even customers that have never heard these terms before know what they are. Cross-selling can be as simple as asking, “Need some batteries to go with that gizmo you’re buying?” Or even: “You want fries with that?” […]

by Davis Propson It’s raining in Toledo. An April sky is dropping puddles into the outfield at Ned Skeldon Stadium, and the thunder is rattling the rafters. Scott Jeffer, one of the Toledo Mud Hens’ assistant general managers, looks out on the field from the press box behind home plate. “We may not play today,” […]