Small Business Computing Staff

by Alan S. Kay Are OPERATING SYSTEM vendors pulling your customers in different directions? Help guide your customers down the right path to bolster their business and yours. These are confusing times for the people who sell IT tools to small businesses. Technologies have multiplied as rapidly as sports franchises, and these technologies–particularly the Internet–have […]

by Robert Richardson Your old VAR knows too many new tricks.A good VAR will always know about the latest technology, but beware the VAR that’s too quick to abandon what’s working for what’s new. “You want a VAR that’s on the cutting edge, not on the bleeding edge,” says Sheldon Eveloff, a partner at the […]

by Amy H. Blankstein Sticks and stones may break bones, but names can hurt the bottom line. As more companies move to the Web, the sad story of a cybersquatter holding a prime address for ransom is becoming all too common. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and the World Wrestling Federation are just two ­ decidedly […]

by Liz Levy Now that the novelty of the Internet has worn off, people no longer aimlessly “surf” the Web. Today’s consumers go on line looking for a specific product or bit of information. So how do you get the right customers to your site? With a little marketing finesse, it’s possible to target an […]

by Robert J. Wagman DSL can be a great solution for businesses that need fast access to the Internet. There’s just one problem: It can be so hard to get. Lots of companies now offer the service, but its rollout has suffered delays and setbacks in many areas. Partly these problems stem from the confusion […]

by Jamie McAfee Technological advances usually mean temporary technological disadvantages for small companies. It’s no different on the Web, where consumers may soon be placing orders through mobile phones, rather than computers. Several silicon heavyweights are maneuvering to provide scaled-down Web pages on the tiny screens of hand-held phones, or even dispense with the need […]

by Joe Rudich Warning signs and tips for better communication with customersE-commerce is currently the hottest way to get new customers, but how does a business keep those customers for the long-term? The answer, usually, is by providing great service, and that goes beyond the Web site. Customers ultimately need to interact more directly, and […]

by David G. Propson At the turn of the last century, manifestos were all the rage ­ any self-respecting artist or politician simply had to have one. Now, in the age of the Internet, every third business book is an overheated screed trumpeting the way forward for the new economy. But don’t be fooled by […]

by Robert J. Wagman This summer Microsoft may summon up some evil spirits when it unveils the newest weapon in its fight against software pirates. In an attempt to cut down on the billions of dollars it loses to pirates each year, it’s taking a chance that might alienate the businesses and customers that give […]

by Amy H. Blankstein Personal interaction is what the Web’s all about. It’s what first excited everyone, long before the word “e-commerce” ever leaped off a pundit’s lips. Online chat, an Internet technology that dates back to pre-Web days, has now re-emerged as a customer service tool. The technology is now inexpensive and allows small […]

by Jamie McAfee and Liz Levy Sparked, in part, by the ASP (application service provider) phenomenon, small businesses running on Web hosted applications are now operating with less infrastructure on the backend and less power on the desktop. Workstation appliances called “thin clients” have been around for some time in large enterprises, but are just […]

by Ramon Ray The foundation of being a VAR has always been selling product, product, product. However, in this new digital economy, product means almost nothing. The currency of this marketplace is content, information, and solutions. Hence the reason VARs of yesterday are calling themselves solutions providers (SPs) today. For years PC vendors reaped decent […]