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Are Discount-Promoting Sites Right For Your Business?

March 20, 2012

tlfheadshot_web — Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

“You’ve undoubtedly heard about Groupon, the Internet company that sells discount coupons for everything from spa visits to cosmetic surgery. Their IPO last November was the largest since Google, and raised about $700 million.

You might wonder if adding a Groupon or Groupon-like promotion to your marketing mix makes sense.

There are dozens of companies that provide these types of promotions (Groupon isn’t the only game in town), including our local newspaper – see http://dailydeals.monroenews.com (offered as illustration only, and not endorsement).

Personally, I’m skeptical of both the marketing value and the business model. Don’t get me wrong! As a small business owner, I’m not really a fan of discounting, but I understand that it can be a powerfully effective marketing tool. I do, however, question its viability when used on a mass scale for new customer acquisition.

The Groupon model
Groupon’s model, in particular, has some quirks that make me skeptical.

After a deal goes out and coupon buyers pay for the deal upfront, Groupon doesn’t pay out the merchant’s portion immediately.

Instead, it pays out in three equal installments over a period of up to 60 days.

In contrast, Living Social and Amazon’s Local service pay out 100% to merchants within 15 days. Google’s service, Google Offers, pays 80% within four days and the rest within 90 days.

Smaller businesses that are always concerned about cash flow can really get into a bind, since they have to honor the coupons immediately and then wait to collect their portion from Groupon.

The whole “I take your money now, and I’ll give you your cut later” thing strikes me as a bit Ponzi-like, especially since almost two months go by before the merchant is paid.

Mass discounting
It makes sense to take a step back and examine discounting and coupon in the larger context of a small business marketing plan.

The first consideration, of course, is targeting. Small companies don’t have the budgets or luxuries afforded to large companies. Food manufacturers, for example, are very effective at using coupons, the Sunday paper being a perfect example.

The reasons they’re effective are mass distribution – they print hundreds of thousands of coupons, offering untold amounts of cash discounts – and mass appeal. Their target market is essentially anyone that goes to the grocery store or buys food.

Small business promotion
Discount promotions like Groupon are quite a bit different when used by a small company. You don’t have the option to target your audience, and targeting is the most important part of a promotion when budgets are low and risks are high. I don’t think you’d argue that a 50% discount is a potentially high risk marketing expense.

Groupon’s emails go out to everyone in a specific geographic area, and you have no ability to target your reach.

The concern, particularly for smaller, locally-based businesses, is that you attract not only customers that really aren’t right for your business, but the type of consumer that is only motivated by price slashing.

The Bottom Line
Be very careful about using daily deal mass discounting to acquire new customers.

Think about how it can downgrade the image of your company to your current clients, damage your brand, and attract a group of clients whose only interest is in a “deal.”

You can quite likely do much better with laser targeted promotions to your ideal type of customer. Easy and cheap marketing is rarely the profitable marketing.

Why Make The Move To Managed Services?

March 20, 2012

If you are one of our clients, chances are you’ve heard us talk about “managed services.” However, you might not know what the term means.

In a nutshell, a managed services plan provides you with unlimited, comprehensive technical support and network management for a low, fixed monthly fee.

It gets the most out of the IT services you pay for, and eliminates the “Oh my gosh, we’re down” problems and costs for a small business.

A managed services plan lets you get a handle on your IT costs, usually at a fixed monthly fee, and also provides you with a much more comprehensive and up-to-date IT system.

Managed services delivers a network and computer system that’s dependable, stable and allows you to comply with regulatory compliances.

Control costs
In any business, it’s important to be as cost-effective as possible. IT costs are especially important, since poorly managed systems cost way more than they’re worth.

It’s essential to have a system that works with your budget, but doesn’t compromise on quality.

Managed services is the most feasible and practical way to accomplish that, especially in the long term.

Manage complexity
The constant evolution of hardware and software used in your business can really impact your bottom line. Companies with limited resources may very well find themselves left behind as technology moves ahead.

With Managed Services, you are able to enjoy the advantages of the latest IT solutions at a fraction of the cost – enabling you to provide the best possible service to your clients.

More dependable infrastructure
For a small business, maintaining an in house IT system can be tedius and time consuming.

With limited staff, the business owner or owners typically get stuck being the “computer guy” for the company – robbing the business of the owner’s talents for sales, marketing and customer service.

Companies run the risk of stretching resources too thinly, which can compromise the quality of your service or products.

Managed services provides you with a stable and dependable computing infratructure that’s dedicated to meeting your specific needs in a cost-effective manner.

Maintaining compliance
With the marketplace becoming more and more competitive, meeting different regulatory compliances has become a fundamental need.

From Sarbanes-Oxley to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), smaller companies can often find themselves lost. It’s managed services that helps these companies not only fully understand the requirements of these regulations, but also comply with them.

Small companies typically don’t have the resources to research what their requirements are for email archiving, for example. Under a managed services plan, services such as email filtering and archiving are included in the monthly cost.

If you want to know more about how managed services can directly benefit your day to day operations, please do not hesitate to give us a call – we’d be happy to sit down and discuss a custom solution that works for you.
Feature article by: Tech Experts

Six Ways To Ensure Your Email Gets Read

March 20, 2012

If you’re like a lot of us, you get so much email every day that you might spend as little as 15 seconds scanning a message to determine how it applies to you.

Now, imagine that other people are reading your email the same way. If they can’t quickly identify the purpose of your message, they’ll probably delete it or leave it in the Inbox for “later” – if later ever comes.

Here are some tips to ensure that your email messages are read and get the attention they deserve.

Have a clear purpose
When recipients receive your email message, they should be able to see at a quick glance how the message relates to them and why it’s important.

They may be looking at a preview of your message in Microsoft Outlook or on a smart phone. Or they may see only subject lines in their inbox. If your subject line is confusing and irrelevant, your email will surely get deleted in a hurry.

Here are some things you can include in subject lines to make sure the reader opens your mail:

A standard subject heading such as “Action Requested,” “Response Requested,” “FYI,” or “Read Only.”

The meaningful objective or supporting project that the message relates to, for example, “FY ‘05 budget forecasting.”

The required action if applicable, for example, “Consolidate departmental budget spreadsheets.” The due date if applicable, for example, “Due by July 7.”

An example of an effective Subject line is “Action Requested—Consolidate all department spreadsheets for FY ‘06 budget and return to me by June 15th.”

Tell them what to do
Be completely clear about the actions you want the recipients to take.

Be specific and put all the material that is related to an action in one place. To get even faster responses, talk about how the action relates to the recipient’s objectives, and always give due dates.

It’s also important to clarify what you want the recipient to do. There are basically four types of actions you could request:

Action: The recipient needs to perform an action. For example, “Provide a proposal for a 5% reduction in travel expenses.”

Respond: The recipient needs to respond to your message with specific information. For example, “Let me know if you can attend the staff meeting at 9am Friday.”

Read only: The recipient needs to read your message, and no response is necessary. For example, “Please read the attached sales plan before the staff meeting on August 12th.”

FYI only: The recipient should file your message for future reference. In fact, even reading the message is optional. For example, “Enclosed for your records are your completed expense reports.”

Give them all of the data
Make sure you give recipients all of the information they need to complete an action or respond successfully to your request.

Your co-workers shouldn’t have to come back to you asking for information, whether it is a supporting document or a link to a file on a shared website.

You can include supporting information in the body of the message, in an attached file, or in an attached email.

Send only to necessary people
Target your message to the appropriate audience. Only people who have to complete an action on the Subject line should receive your message. Be thoughtful and respectful when you enter names on the To line. People observe your thoughtfulness and the results are more effective.

No forwards!
While everyone appreciates a little humor and a sanity break at the office, save the funny forwards, jokes, and cute pictures for personal email.

Work/Life Balance: The Issue Of Technology

March 20, 2012

Technology and easy Internet access can be both a blessing and a curse, giving us remote access to email, smartphones, Skype and other tools.

In theory at least, this gives us the ability to be able to work from home and achieve a better work/life balance, and yet in some cases all it has actually done is increase the number of hours that we spend working.

One way to win back some work/life balance is to negotiate the time spent working from home.

Not only does working from home save a lot of time you would otherwise spend commuting back and forth to work, it also means you save money on both transportation and food, and it gives you more time to develop an exercise routine. There can be problems with working from home, however, such as lack of discipline and motivation as well as overwork.

The solution is to make certain that your work stays within the time period of a normal working day and does not add further hours to that workload.

Some time-management techniques include creating to-do lists, managing your expectations, prioritizing your workload, learning to delegate, and making sure that you have regular meetings and catch-up sessions with colleagues.

It is also important to set boundaries with colleagues to respect your personal time. Set an expectation that you’re “not available” during non-work hours. Switching off your cell phone and not checking emails during non-working hours is also a good idea.

How To Fall In Love With Your Computer All Over Again!

February 13, 2012

Have you ever shouted at your computer because it froze up, crashed, and caused you to lose work? Have you ever whacked it with your hand, kicked it, or smashed the keyboard out of frustration?

If so, you’re not alone. Problems with a computer, cell phone or other gadget can be so frustrating that it has been called “computer rage” by some psychologists, and it’s on the rise.

According to a recent poll, three quarters of computer users have admitted to shouting, swearing, or committing acts of violence towards their computer (for the record, I think the number is much higher!).

While some simply curse the darn thing, others have admitted to hitting it until their hand bled or throwing it across the room.

One computer user was quoted as saying, “You feel so helpless. All you can do is sit there and watch the stupid thing freeze up and there isn’t a darn thing you can do about it. The error may only cause a few minutes delay, but it feels like a lifetime when you’re in a hurry to get things done.”

Deadlines are missed, work is lost, customers angered – all because of computer trouble. And the vast majority claim that problems like this happen on a consistent basis.

Apparently, technical problems are only the start of most peoples’ anxiety.

Many report that they are further angered by the time and process it takes to get the problem fixed, and some employees claim computer problems are their number one source of work anxiety and stress.

IT related problems further compound employee dissatisfaction since it often forces them to work late or take work home. If you are an employer, take note: your unstable computer network could be elevating your employees’ anxiety and job dissatisfaction levels, not to mention interfering with their productivity.

Our Experts Total Support Plans have helped dozens of clients end “computer rage” at their company. There are two ways we accomplish this: First, our 24/7 monitoring helps us detect and prevent problems before they show up. Your system runs faster, has fewer problems, and users aren’t constantly having to deal with system errors.

We also keep your security patches up-to-date, we prevent spyware, viruses, and hackers from invading your network, and we make sure you have a reliable backup of your system and data.

This basic maintenance is critical to the speed and performance of your computer network.Second, getting help is MUCH easier and faster with Experts Total Support.

Our secure software allows us to remotely log in to your network to diagnose and resolve most problems on the spot. No more waiting around for a technician to show up!

Sign Up Today And Get Your First Month FREE

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, we want to “show you the love” by giving you the first month of service FREE.

You’ll discover how Experts Total Support will make you fall back in love with your computer network. Give the office a call at (734) 457-5001.

Security Risks Of Employee Owned Devices

February 13, 2012

Employees using their own mobile devices for work may seem like a good idea at first – it’s less expense for you, the employer, and they can also make employees more productive.

However, it also means that you are allowing potentially unsecure devices to access your company’s data. The solution? An effective IT security policy that balances personal freedom to use these devices and your need to secure important business information.

As technology continues to become more affordable and accessible to consumers, it’s an inevitable fact that employers will see more and more of their employees using their own personal devices such as laptops and mobile phones to access the company’s IT system.

This can be a dangerous thing. Since these devices aren’t company owned and regulated, you have limited access and control over how they are used. Employees could download all sorts of malware and viruses on their devices and pass the infection along to your IT system when they access it.

The solution: a comprehensive IT security policy. It’s important that you find a compromise between the freedom of the employee to use the device as desired and your need to keep your IT system safe from viruses and other threats to your data’s security.

Steps such as having employees run mobile device management (MDM) software on their devices is one of many actions you can take to lessen the risk of security breaches. You may also want to implement applications and software that check and screen for malware, both for laptops and mobile devices. And don’t forget that while Android seems to have a bigger problem with malicious software, Apple isn’t exactly virus-free, either.

Employees have a right to use their personal devices as they see fit, but not at the expense of important company information stored in your IT system. Running a tight ship in terms of security is an effective way to protect your business interests and your sensitive company data.

If you are interested in knowing more about developing a concrete and effective IT security policy for personal device use as well as general system access, please don’t hesitate to give us a call so we can sit down with you and discuss a custom security blueprint tailored for your company’s network.

Free Antivirus Software: No Bargain

February 13, 2012

Free antivirus software may seem like a bargain, but it’s not. In this tough economy, getting something for free is always a good thing, right? Short answer: It depends on your tolerance for risk.

Here are some issues to consider before you delay an investment in network protection and use “freeware” instead. First, free antivirus software doesn’t provide the comprehensive protection you need against today’s biggest online threats. So when you trust your computer, applications, files and identity to free AV software, it can end up costing you more in time, aggravation, and money than you ever imagined.

Most free antivirus software is really just bait that some software companies use to lure you in. It’s usually a “light” version of one of their paid products that offers only limited protection against today’s online threats.

After you install most free antivirus software, you can expect to be hit with a barrage of annoying, time-wasting pop-up alerts telling you that it only provides basic” protection. Then you’ll receive recommendations to switch to one of the software maker’s paid security products for “complete” protection.

Another point to keep in mind: Experts agree that today’s biggest online threats come in forms that free antivirus software doesn’t stop. Threats such as rootkits, bots, keyloggers, hackers, phishing scams, and infected websites breeze right past most free antivirus software.

These threats can pose an even bigger danger than viruses, not only to your computer and files, but to your bank account as well. They can lead to a hard drive crash, system failure, or worse, identity theft. Also, free antivirus software is generally reactive. That means it only deals with threats after they’ve attacked and had an opportunity to do damage to your computer and files.

When you build your own security suite using standalone free security software, compatibility issues can cause conflicting alerts and even hard drive crashes. That’s even more time wasted – and a whole load of aggravation you don’t need.

So what’s the bottom line? Free antivirus software simply doesn’t provide the comprehensive protection you need in today’s online world. When you add up the various costs listed above, free antivirus software isn’t free at all.

Windows XP: Usage Declining After 10 Years

February 13, 2012

With Windows XP being released more than 10 years ago its still amazing that it is still on top when it comes to the most widely used operating system. The question still stands however, why?!

Many users have become comfortable with Windows XP and everyone hates change so it is really no surprise that users are holding on to the antiquated operating system. There are however major problems with holding onto old technology.

The first major problem is support. Windows XP is slated to lose its support in early August of 2014. “So why not hold on to Windows XP a little longer, I heard Windows 8 is coming out soon?” While there are many users out there with that mentality, it is bad practice to hold on to an operating system beyond its useful life.

The fact is there is a great alternative to Windows XP that has been out long enough that the bugs have been worked out and is a stable alternative. Windows 7 is the alternative, while many users are nervous about moving on to a new operating system because they don’t like change, Windows 7 is a very intuitive, stable and user friendly operating system.

The second reason you should not be holding on to Windows XP over Windows 7 is the simple fact of security. Windows 7 has been proven to be more than five times as secure as Windows XP.That’s right, all those viruses you get in Windows XP due to its numerous security holes do not exist in Windows 7. While its true there are still some viruses and malware in Windows 7, this is true of any software (Yes even a Mac…).

Many businesses are starting to see these facts as well and are not waiting around for Windows 8. So why are they not waiting?

Well, current reviews of Windows 8 have very mixed opinions on whether or not it will be a good fit for businesses. Much like Vista was to the Windows XP user, Windows 8 is going to be a very different looking and feeling operating system.Many people in the Information Technology field have their doubts as to whether it will fit into businesses well due to the drastic changes that have been made in the users interface.

While Windows 8 is still not released to the general public yet, it still appears that it will be too big of a change for those in the business world that generally are not early adopters of new Windows operating systems (Sound familiar?).

Many businesses are just starting to push into Windows 7 for their primary workstations and the numbers of Windows XP computers versus the number of Windows 7 computers out are starting to show that. Windows XP has dropped over 10% in the past year which is huge! As a matter of fact Windows 7 gained 15% last year which means not only is it doing well enough to take those XP users, but it also managed to steal some users from other operating systems.

The long and short is it is time to get that upgrade and stop wasting your time with Windows XP. Windows XP will cost you more to maintain due to the fact that it is more likely to have viruses and other problems. Windows 7 is the way to go don’t wait until Windows XP support finally dies then decide its time.The time is now, save yourself the hassle and plan the upgrade process now rather than waiting till the last minute.

We can get you upgraded to Windows 7 or, if your computer is too old to put the money and time into it to switch to Windows 7, we can get a computer for you with Windows 7 and transfer all of your existing data to it. Just give us a call.

Feature article by:
Tech Experts

Sometimes Something’s Just Gotta Give

February 13, 2012

Whether you’re chasing around between two or three different jobs, trying to maintain a standard of living that used to be achievable doing just one, or burning the candle at both ends to fit in numerous extracurricular activities as well as holding down a full-time job, sometimes there just comes a point where something’s got to give.

Although it might be easy to assume that a constant state of activity means forward progression, when things start to get too frantic, all that dashing around can easily become self-defeating. Not only does the body become exhausted, but as the brain goes into overload, mistakes start to be made, things begin to be forgotten and it becomes impossible to give your best to anything that you attempt. Far from moving forward, what often happens is that you end up spending most of your time sorting out the muddles that have been created due to time pressures and the inability to stay organized.

Both mind and body need time to relax, so if your life has started to look like one endless merry-go-round and offers no respite, bear in mind that sometimes you can achieve more by doing less. Focus on what’s most important and give anything else the old heave-ho!

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