5 Steps to Maintaining a Successful Company Blog | BusinessTips.com

January 27, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Today, when you start a business, you are also starting an online presence for your business. With that presence usually comes Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and often, a company blog. Though a blog arguably requires the most work out of the social networks your business partakes in, it also can reap the most rewards.

A blog truly is the voice of your business; it gives your otherwise faceless business a tone and personality unique only to itself. A blog is great for showcasing products, answering customer questions, and informing the masses on matters close to your particular industry, thereby labeling your CEO as an industry expert.

So how do you get started on the right foot and maintain a level of consistent success?

7 Unexpected Signs You Might Be an Entrepreneur | Entrepreneur

January 26, 2015January 26, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Remember Jeff Foxworthy? The comedian made a splash back in the ‘90s with his (slightly un-PC) “You might be a redneck” routine. Among his classic one-liners: “If you own a home that’s mobile and five cars that aren’t … you might be a redneck.”

Well, inspired by Jeff, I’ve been thinking about a “You might be an entrepreneur” routine—in other words, slightly unexpected signs you’ve got what it takes to go through the thrilling, punishing, life-changing experience of starting your own company.

Yes, you’ve got to be passionate, resilient and all that other good stuff. But there are more subtle qualities needed, as well. Networking with other entrepreneurs over the years through Hootsuite and working closely with young up-and-comers through my foundation The Next Big Thing, I’ve noticed that a lot of us share some common personality traits. So, without further ado, you might be an entrepreneur if…

How to Build Online Relationships Into Meaningful Networks | Inc.com

January 26, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I was waiting for my son’s basketball game to start this weekend, and with the morning’s emails all drained, I turned to Twitter and saw a Tweet from Marshall Kirkpatick.

I consider Marshall a business friend. A fellow thinker and tinkerer of technology. Somebody I respect. And like. But here’s the thing — I honestly can’t remember how many times I’ve actually met Marshall in person. I know him really through being online, and from that we’ve had phone calls to debate his business and such.

It’s an online relationship, and I actually believe that as of 2015 I’ve met more of my close connections in the past five to seven years online before offline. Brad Feld. Fred Wilson. Tristan Walker. And many, many more. Some through blog comments — your place or mine. Some on Twitter.

What First Graders Know About Getting Millions of Clicks on Your Site | Page19

January 23, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Optimizely founders show you how to improve conversion on your website with a communications tactic that even elementary-schoolers know.

Observe them at play and you’ll find that the average eight-year-old has no compunction about telling others exactly what he wants. Kids don’t circumnavigate, nor are they strategic enough to see belaboring the point through fancy constructions as a benefit to anybody.

As we grow older, however, we learn to talk like grown ups, defaulting to subtler ways of directing others’ behavior. “Come here now!” becomes “Do you have a moment to help me with this?” and “Give me that cable!” becomes, “Might I borrow your iPhone charger for a moment?”

5 Steps to Automate, Streamline and Grow Your Business | Small Biz Trends

January 22, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every entrepreneur wants to create a profitable business. But instead of working on their businesses, most of them end up working in their businesses with a go-all-out, hands-on approach. When it comes to growth and scale, this hands-on approach won’t work. What entrepreneurs need is a way to leverage, and a way to scale. They are always looking for a sustainable way to go smart.

Automation is the answer to every entrepreneur’s dream. Businesses face severe competition and a roller coaster ride on the path to success. It helps when a few processes pass through automatically without the involvement of business owners at every juncture.

Small Businesses Don’t Get Full Value of Security Solutions | Business News Daily

January 20, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Technology and software are among the most important investments a company can make nowadays, especially when it comes to security. The growing demand for IT services and security solutions prove that business owners know the threats that are out there, and want to do something to guard themselves against increasingly cunning cybercriminals.

You might have purchased a well-rounded security solution with all the recommended features a business might need, but was the investment really worth it? A forthcoming report from security solutions provider Trustwave found that organizations of all sizes are wasting their security dollars, and none more so than small businesses.

How to Stay Productive When Working at Home | The Simple Dollar

January 19, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The phone keeps ringing. The kitchen sink is full of dishes. The dog has been snoring for 30 minutes and you desperately need to write out your monthly budget and pay your bills.

But those things have to wait, and it’s not always by choice. When you work at home, you have to ignore your everyday concerns and responsibilities until your actual work is done. Because, let’s face it, folding laundry doesn’t pay the bills.

Can You Stay on the Job at Home?

So how do you stay productive when you’re expected to live and work at the same address? Ask most work-at-home professionals and they’ll give you a list of strategies they use to stay on task when the dishes, the garden, and the neighborhood pool keep calling their name.

Communications Trends for 2015 | Allbusiness

January 16, 2015January 16, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It’s the time of year that all of the experts predict what will happen in the new year.

Of course, no one really has a crystal ball, but there are certain things you can tell are going to happen, just based on experience and perspective.

The communications industry is no different and it’s important for business owners to stay abreast of how an industry is changing, if only so you know the right questions to ask when you’re hiring for that particular skill set.

Torchia | DESIGNNOBIS

January 13, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Torchia Solar LED Lamp/Charger offers portable emergency flashlight that uses solar energy as its main power source. Just like handy flashlight, this concept device fits several needs in both multiple usages. Charged by photovoltaic panels in four wings, Torchia produces energy without any dependency on other energy systems. Suitable for outdoor activities, it charges devices via USB. Created as a multipurpose tool that is light yet robust, it is a lifesaver in size of an A3 paper. Torchia is also efficient in emergency situations, it can be used as a flash light for warning such as in the event of a car accident or natural disasters. It can be stuck onto soft ground with its foldable stakes at bottom. The main system continuously charges itself and produces energy with photovoltaic panels on four wings, the panels are two sided and other side of a panel is a reflective surface. It consists of 7 LED lights of 3.5 watts, 2 batteries with 24 watts DC, and 2 USB outputs.

See Video.

18 Google Maps Tricks You Need to Try| PCMag.com

January 6, 2015January 6, 2015 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Regardless of how you feel about it, Google Maps (and its cousin Google Earth) remain powerful and versatile tools—and most of us are only scratching at the surface of what they have to offer. (And we’re just talking about the Web version, the mobile incarnations are a whole other bag of magic.) Here, we present 18 cool things you didn’t know Google Maps could do. Click on through and experience just a little bit of the power of the everyday.