KnowRoaming Helps Save The Overseas Roaming Bill | CoolBusinessideas.com

April 24, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

What’s most interesting about KnowRoaming’s offering is the SIM “sticker” concept. Your starter kit includes a sticker and an applicator, which you use to literally stick KnowRoaming’s device directly on top of the SIM that came with your phone. The sticker is incredibly thin — it’s designed to permanently sit atop your existing card, with enough clearance to fit into your phone. Of course, as with any fresh-off-the-line product, I experienced some hiccups (folded or bunched-up stickers) when trying to squeeze prototype stickers into certain smartphones (more on that below), but once you’ve successfully installed the device in your phone, you’re good to go.

KnowRoaming is designed to minimize hassle when it’s time to switch networks. While you’re in your home country, the sticker sits dormant. It’s more or less invisible to your phone, and all calls and data will be handled exclusively by your original SIM. When you leave the country, though, the device should switch to the new network automatically. You’ll receive a text message detailing local rates; your incoming calls will be forwarded to your roaming number (outgoing calls appear with your home number); and after you add “knowroaming” as your APN, you’ll be ready to surf at 3G speeds anywhere you go.

via CoolBusinessIdeas.com | KnowRoaming Helps Save The Overseas Roaming Bill.

9 Critical Mistakes That Can Kill Most Startup Businesses | Allbusiness.com

April 23, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

While many startup businesses are filled with bright-eyed company evangelicals, the reality is that the odds are against you. Harvard Business School researcher Shikhar Ghosh found that 75 percent of all startups fail, which means that new companies have to rise up with caution if they plan to survive the first few years. This translates to running on a budget even when your productivity and sales are booming, ignoring deadly business fads, and taking fewer risks.

These dire statistics shouldn’t scare entrepreneurs away from new business ventures, but they should help us rethink our current approach to startup management. With new tech companies blossoming and wilting in cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Cambridge, it’s easy for startup founders to get discouraged. Take a look at these massive mistakes new companies make and learn to avoid them early.

Remember, Persistence Pays Off. Stay Motivated With These 5 Tips. | Entrepreneur.com

April 23, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The most important goals you set for yourself will take time to achieve. That’s a fact.

At some point, though, I can pretty much guarantee that you’re going to feel frustrated things aren’t moving faster. But, the truth is, hurrying won’t help you. It can be hard to stay motivated when times are tough. You may even feel like you want to quit. But if you are patient, your persistence will pay off.

Here are five tips I use to remind myself of the big picture — and to not give up too easily.

Toyota recalls more than 6 million vehicles | money.cnn.com

April 22, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Toyota announced five recalls on Wednesday, affecting a total of 6.39 million vehicles globally.

The recalls cover 27 Toyota (TM) models — including Camry, Corolla, Matrix and Highlander. Two of those models were made by joint manufacturing ventures and sold under other brands: the Pontiac Vibe and the Subaru Trezia. Some of the vehicles were made as early as 2004.

5 Tips for Accepting Card-Not-Present Payments | Businessnewsdaily.com

April 22, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Does your business accept credit card payments online? Doing so is a great way for small businesses to simplify sales in addition to or instead of face-to-face transactions.

Even though the customer isn’t standing in front of you, you’re still required to protect his or her credit information, says the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). It’s also important to safeguard your own business against security risks: When it comes to accepting online credit card payments, fraud is on the rise. According to the 2013 LexisNexis True Cost of Fraud Study, merchants who accept online payments attributed 42 percent of fraudulent transactions to the online channel this year, compared with 31 percent in 2012.

via 5 Tips for Accepting Card-Not-Present Payments.

5 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make When Buying a Car | Gen X Finance

April 21, 2014 ~ lmehit ~ Leave a comment

Cars Are Great, But They Can Erode Your Wealth

For many of us, a car is a necessity. With our sprawling cities and an often lacking mass-transit system, unless you live in the heart of a relatively large city, you need a vehicle. While important, a vehicle is also one of the biggest wealth destroyers out there today, cars carry a lot of expenses. Just look around. What are people driving, and how much are they spending? It isn’t uncommon to see multi-car households with over $100,000 worth of vehicles parked in their garage. And they are rapidly depreciating assets on top of that! Cars can quickly eat away at your hard earned money and keep you from your goals of retirement or becoming a millionaire.

So, even though vehicles play an important role in many of our lives, and we need something comfortable and reliable, there are a few major mistakes you need to avoid when you’re buying a car. Just one relatively minor mistake can cost you thousands and put your other financial goals in jeopardy.

Are You Using Marketing to Sabotage Your Business Success? 3 Danger Signs | Getentrepreneurial.com

April 21, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Here’s the sneaky thing about mental blocks — they usually make their presence known through sabotage (your business, your relationships, your life, etc.) rather than let you know through more civilized means.

Wouldn’t it be so much nicer if they simply tapped you on the shoulder and said “hey — this is an issue for you, maybe you should take care of it?”

Alas, they prefer to communicate with you by wreaking havoc in your business and your life.

And, when it comes to your business, one of their favorite ways of messing with you is through marketing.

So, how do you know if this is something you’re doing? Below are the 3 Danger Signs:

The Best Places To Launch A Startup In 2014 | Forbes.com

April 21, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The convergence of a number of economic conditions and consumer trends has hatched a business environment in the U.S. that embraces small business, and we are on the verge of revitalized small business communities across the country. To determine which U.S. cities are the most amenable to the wave of small business owners that will establish local roots in the upcoming year, we have developed a unique set of criteria based on data available within Radius.

The Power of Video Throughout the Customer Journey | ducttapemarketing.com/blog/

April 18, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The business benefits of video for brand discovery, web traffic and customer engagement have been widely documented over the years. But do people really find videos helpful in making purchasing decisions? In a recent survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, we learned that videos created by businesses really do help people make more confident shopping decisions and feel more connected to a brand. A whopping 96 percent of all respondents said they find video helpful when making purchase decisions online, and 73 percent said they are more likely to purchase a product after watching a marketing video. These are pretty convincing reasons to invest in video!