BrightSurfer

You can draw attention to your online communications and get your message across more effectively if you add images, audio, and video to your documents, presentations, and web site. Here’s how you can do that:

Working with Images - Hire a graphic designer to create a logo for your business, stationery templates (print and online), and slick web pages. Use a stock photo agency like iStockphoto to obtain images that illustrate your message clearly on web pages and presentations. Use your own digital camer to take pictures for your business image library, to save on stock photo licensing fees. You can also use Google Image Search to find images on the Internet, but beware of copyright and licensing issues. For websites, use your webhosting account or a free image hosting service to store the images you use – it constitutes bad manners to include an image hosted from someone else’s server without permission. For editing images, you can use Paint.Net or The GIMP to edit your images on a budget, but I highly recommend Adobe Photoshop Elements for casual image users, and Adobe Photoshop (the original, full featured program) if you use graphics extensively.

Remember that images for use on the web should be relatively small - the typical size for a web photo is 640×480 in pixels, set at 72 dots per inch (approximately 6 1/3″ x 9″ on a computer screen). Images for printing need to be very large - an 8″x10″ photo should have at least 150 dots per inch, which requires a 1200 x 1500 pixel source image, and professional printing with photo quality is usually set at 300dpi, requiring 2400 x 3000 pixel images (more than six megapixels). Since you can always size an image down with no quality loss, make sure that the images you use are as large as possible if you think you’ll need an image for both online display and print use.

Working with Audio - You can use an audio mastering program to take any input - including a microphone plugged into your computer’s sound card, or a digital voice recorder’s WAV/MP3 files transferred over USB - and make an audio program from it. You can also use your CDs or purchased music online to create soundtracks for your offline presentations. Right now, the big thing in online audio is the podcast. Anyone can make a regularly-scheduled audio program using RSS and uploaded sound clips. Perhaps you can use a podcast to draw listeners to your business and get your message out there.

Take major caution, however, in obtaining explicit permission in using audio files in your work, especially for music distributed by major record labels. Licenses are required for online distribution of music (separate from the license you receive when you buy music for typical personal use) and the record industry’s official group organization (the RIAA) has come down hard on people who are not careful with work written by or performed by their artists. Original work is generally okay for use if you purchased or obtained permission from both the original songwriter(s) and the performing artists. If you don’t know much about copyrights, I’d advise that you avoid publishing anything online that you did not create yourself from scratch.

Working with Video - You can use video clips to really capture your audience’s attention, both in presentations and on the web. And just like podcasts, vlogs (short for videologs) are regularly-produced programs that have gained a lot of attention on the web in recent months. Video can often be downloaded from a late-model digital camcorder to a computer using a transfer cable or a DVD-ROM (check your camcorder’s instructions - older camcorders that record on non-digital tapes are unfortunately unable to do this). Even mobile phones and pocket digicams, if they have recording features, can be used to record video for the web! Many video-sharing services online can host your video and share it with millions of people, plus provide code snippets to insert into your web pages so that the video can play directly in your own website. YouTube is the most famous of the video sharing services, or you can use Veoh or Vimeo if you prefer. Again, copyright violations are pursued aggressively online, so make sure to get the copyright owner’s permission before using any recorded clips that you have not produced yourself.

I covered basic IT concepts for small businesses previously, and one of my main points was that data and equipment should be kept secure. Here’s how you can do that as a small business owner:

Equipment - As a small business owner, you shouldn’t have much to keep watch over. But do make sure to keep all of it secure and protected from harm. Desktop computers and office equipment are not easily stolen or vandalized. Still, make sure you know how to operate everything, be sure to maintain it and use it properly, don’t tinker with anything that you don’t really know how to fix, and keep equipment away from environmental hazards such as liquids, heat, and physical impacts (those are all universally bad for digital equipment). Also, keep your business equipment away from people who shouldn’t be using it, including inexperienced users, strange people, and potential data thieves. Keep an office insurance policy so that everything can be replaced in case of a catastrophe.

To consider separately: laptops and PDAs. Portable computers are much more easily damaged, stolen, and misplaced. These devices should be treated very, very carefully, but you should still plan for contingencies. Insure your portable equipment against loss or theft, try to secure your data from unwanted access on these devices as much as possible, and use shock-protective casing (even if just a padded bag) whenever possible. Encryption products can be really helpful, as well as monitoring software that checks in with location-based data.

Data Storage - Backup, backup, backup! I’m not just repeating the word for impact - nowadays, data storage and data bandwidth is so cheap that you should keep at least three copies of your important data at all times. Your original copy is the only one that needs to be instantly accessible, so feel free to consider solutions that create complete backup copies on a daily or weekly basis (depending on how fast your data changes and how sensitive your most recent data is for your business). One backup copy can be kept on-premises, either on your network, a spare hard drive, or on a detachable device. Additionally, you should aim for a solution that keeps a second complete up-to-date backup in an external, secure location. The reason: should a drastic emergency event fall upon your office, like a theft, fire, or flood, you have recourse for retrieving your data. (Office insurance can replace damaged equipment, but it can’t bring back an obliterated data storage device.) Your backups can be uploaded over the Internet frequently, sending only the most recent changes following the last total data backup, to backup providers who keep your data secure - and backed up even further!
*Tip* - one thing you do not have to backup frequently is your software programs. You should have installation disks for software available in case of loss, and the programs themselves do not change. Most modern computers offer to store data in separate locations from your installed programs, and that is generally a very smart idea to follow.

Network Security and Malware - Nowadays, backup services and equipment insurance cover most of what you’d need for loss prevention strategies. That said, you don’t want your data to be stolen by vandals, and you do not want the nuisance of having your computer equipment hacked and exploited (or, less commonly nowadays, fried). Today’s computer hackers are very good at infiltrating computer networks for their own illicit business uses, and modern infective software tends to prefer throwing pop-up at viewers and stealing personal data rather than wiping out hard drives. However, these issues can still lead to data loss, and more often can cause you to waste time and equipment resources. The good news is that it’s not all that difficult to secure your network from intrusions, and many products exist to scan your PCs and remove malware and viruses. Use firewall software on PCs (it now comes with Windows PCs) and enable a firewall on your incoming Internet connection. Make sure each computer has an up-to-date virus scanner, pop-up blocker, and malware scanner. (These tools can be found for free on the Internet) Also, keep all of your software up-to-date with the latest patch programs, and check regularly for the release of software patches - program upgrades usually fix know security holes, reducing the accessibility of your computer to hackers. It also helps to avoid untrustworthy software and potentially malicious websites, because the chance that you’ll pickup an infective software program from a reliable source (such as a large corporation or a responsible vendor) is somewhat rare.

Backup Software:
Retrospect Home and Office Products from EMC
SyncToy
Instructions for using Microsoft Backup
Bacula

Virus Scanners:
AVG (also includes anti-spyware)
ClamWin

Malware Scanners (for Windows systems):
Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool
Ad-Aware
SpyBot
ewido

One of the most daunting challenges for a small business owner looking to integrate computer technology into their business is figuring out what to buy and how to appropriately fit it into your business. Information technology is such a vast field of rapidly-evolving products that it is very difficult for the casual or time-pressed consumer to reach a clear understanding of available hardware, software, and services.

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to make appropriate decisions on IT, however. All you need is a little guidance.

Don’t buy more than you need. The typical small home business does not require tens of thousands of dollars in equipment and software for productivity. (There are a few businesses that do require specialized equipment for production purposes, of course, but that’s not part of your IT strategy.) As your business moves to mid-size, you will generally need appropriate networking products to allow company-wide collaboration on projects and services. Regardless of the size of your business, it is important to avoid over-expansion and overspending. Your business goal is to keep your productivity tools as simple and effective as possible. With more that you have to learn and maintain, your IT budget will go higher and your employees will need to spend more time figuring out how to use it all.

Focus on your running your business and not on running a well-funded digital toy collection. The complexity of IT can become a distraction, as well as the excitement of running all the latest, cutting-edge applications. Budget your time as you would budget your spending. You can look up much that you’d like to know through consumer magazines like Fast Company and eWeek, as well as online resources like CNet, but remember that you can’t learn everything at once. Learn some of what you need to know at first, and then put a couple of hours each week or month into additional news reading. If your understanding of IT is still rather weak after your initial attempts at research, you could benefit heavily from an IT consulting service to provide the IT services that your business needs. In any case, don’t allow yourself to obsess over the details of your computer equipment; you have a business to run, and you have customers to serve.

Make your equipment and data secure. A computer-related catastrophe can destroy your business in a number of ways. Make sure that your data is always backed up (more than one backup strategy does not hurt) and always protected by the latest anti-virus software. Use applications and network services that are mature products and are proven stable, so that downtime does not interfere constantly with your business. Make sure that your network and computer terminals are operated in a secure manner and are protected from intruders both inside your company and out on the Internet. Keep all of your software up-to-date with the latest versions released from their vendors. Never forget that people who you trust can, accidentally or purposefully, wreck your computer equipment; make sure that your employees are trained to use your systems appropriately, have your personnel policies reflect your security goals, and keep unnecessary access away from those who do not need it.

That’s really all there is to it. As I said above, it’s best not to obsess over the details if you’re not in the IT business. The particulars of IT change constantly, and products generally get easier to use over time, not harder, so you have much to look forward as your business grows over time. Remember that the goals of new technology are to make your business simpler, easier, and more efficient. Keep your IT plans manageable and maintain your assets responsibly, and you will surely achieve those goals.

Staying competitive in today’s economy is becoming highly contingent on your mastery of your business productivity. There are thousands of resources online for business productivity and helpful applications, which can earn you an advantage over your competitors and help you serve your customers better. The problem is that there are thousands of resources! It’s hard to wade through all of them even if you know what you’re looking for, and most often small business owners need a little guidance to begin to know where to look for these tools. So, let’s help you fix that right now!

Accounting and Bookkeeping: Use Quicken to manage your accounting. Use TurboTax to do your tax filing (or, if your taxes are extremely complex, use the Yellow Pages online to look up a CPA or tax-preparation firm)

Finance: Talk to your bank about online banking programs and small business applications. Citibank and Bank of America have programs for small businesses to help them with common financial tasks such as payroll, check ledgers, and loans.

Word Processing and Spreadsheets: Google Docs and Spreadsheets make a fine replacement for Microsoft Word and Excel, although Google’s applications are not as feature-rich as the Microsoft Office Standards. However, if you’re composing simple documents and lists, the big advantage here is that you can store unlimited documents and data online, access those files anywhere an internet connection exists, and output the results into files compatible with Word and Excel when you’re ready! (This entry is being typed in Google Docs & Spreadsheets right now!) Documents and spreadsheets can also use online collaboration features that you could only get previously through a complicated networking setup for Microsoft Office, and it works great for project management over the web from remote locations.

Invoicing: Blinksale makes your invoicing easy and professional.

Office Supplies: Don’t poke through a printed catalog. Go to Staples.com

Communications: Use Google Apps for Your Domain to install Gmail and Google Talk on a hosted account. Gmail uses an extremely efficient email client over the web, accessible anywhere, and also has the ability to connect to your preferred email client software. Google Talk is a simple but efficient messaging application.

Marketing: visit marketing blogs such as Marktd to get ideas. Use a diagram application like Gliffy to visualize your strategies. Use Paint.NET or The GIMP for your graphic design. Use Google Docs and Spreadsheets for your copywriting. Use ConstantContact for email marketing services.

Research: if you ever need information, it’s Google, Google, Google! Also, check out Wikipedia when researching a topic (Wikipedia is open to be edited by anyone, so it is recommended that you use Wikipedia articles to gain a starting point only for information on an in-depth topic) and look on About.com for practical everyday information. And if you want to be more thorough in your searches, you can use search engines at Yahoo!, MSN Search, and Ask.com.

Have any other small business resources to share? Post them in the comments section!

Advertising online can be very similar to advertising in traditional forms of media, with some key differences. Advertising, after all, is the process of communicating your business to potential customers. Just as in print, online media includes forms of widespread messaging through ad products in mass-media publications; targeted advertising using customer databases; and viral communication schemes such as publicity efforts and grassroots campaigns. There is nothing novel about the message; a direct email campaign is not much different from a direct mail campaign. However, you should certainly take advantage of the nuances of online media applications that make them so much more powerful than traditional media advertising products.

To advertise online effectively, you should use the power of networked computing resources and databases. With computer networks, many communication pathways are already established, and it is much simpler for readers and viewers to spread your message. With databases, you have a resource that can hold incredible amounts of data which can be efficiently output for bulk automated use or mathematically transformed into useful statistical figures. Many business owners can use these advantages of online communications to spend advertising budget dollars with a much greater efficiency than their traditional media counterparts.

For many business owners, though, online advertising is not a total replacement for existing traditional media advertising products. Many leading business experts advise that you cut your overall advertising budget! It is generally good practice to shift away from print media and outdoor advertising in favor of web banner ads and search engine contextual advertising, which are generally very cheap. But you should see it as a diversification move, just like you would diversify a financial investment portfolio. Overall, online ads are more efficient (although not as widely viewed by particular demographic groups) and allow you to trim your budget or reach more viewers. I would advise, personally, that you aim for efficiency, because advertising is generally not effective enough for you to build a successful business in modern times - not on its own, anyway. Concentrate on referrals for communicating messages, and build your products so that they sell themselves. Keep your advertising budget modest, focus on research before executing an advertising plan, and aim for high efficiency rather than wide reach (wide reach will end up making you pay for talking to people who don’t need or can’t use your services).

One more piece of critical advice: always be presentable. Do not settle for lowbrow media and shady techniques. Sure, it’s tempting to go with a spammer who may put your message in millions of email boxes, or sign up with a pop-up ad provider, or include your message on high traffic websites amidst ads for gambling and pornography. Those options look very attractive to the non-discerning entrepreneur. My advice is for you to stay away. Stay far, far away. Closely review any sites which may host your advertising to see if there are offensive or unprofessional messages within. Do not degrade your brand and your products to a mass audience in any way by dealing with unsavory advertising products, because the damage is near irreversible. If you have a quality business offering, be confident that, through traditional online (and traditional media) advertising products, it will sell itself.