Here is this week’s round-up of technology news small business owners may find informative, useful or entertaining:

• IT Helps Small Businesses Survive Economic Challenges - A survey suggests that strategic investment in technology is a major factor in helping SMEs grow
• Microsoft to raise Windows Small Business Server price by 80% - A huge price increase is in store for Microsoft Small Business Server users
• Epson offers new small business projector - A new multimedia projector aimed at the small business market was unveiled this week by Epson
• How Amazon Could Change Publishing - The publishing industry is undergoing huge changes and Amazon are at the forefront of them
• Does your AMD-based computer boot after installing XP SP3? - This blog offers advice if your PC was broken by last week’s major update
• Review: Which 3G network is the best? - The main US 3G networks are thoroughly tested
• IBM touts supercomputers for the enterprise - A new line of IBM computers for the workplace will take advantage of high-end processors used in gaming
• It’s a hard-knock life – Three rugged notebooks take a beating to see how hard they are to break
• How a Dead External Hard Drive is Repaired - A fascinating look at the process of restoring a badly damaged hard drive
• Poweset Launches “Understanding Engine” For Wikipedia Content - An interesting new search engine is launched which understands the content it finds
• Microsoft’s Telescope for Everyone - The free WorldWide Telescope was launched this week
• Spam Filtering For Small / Medium Business – A Slashdot discussion with suggestions for spam solutions for SMEs
• New Tests Show Rootkits Still Evade Anti-Virus - Half of all rootkits remain undetectable by most anti-virus software
• Running Mac OS X on standard PCs – A tech guide for anyone brave enough to run the Mac OS X on their PC
• The Top 10 worst workspaces in tech - A run-down of the least inspiring tech workspaces
• O2 prompts speculation over 3G iPhone - The 3G iPhone may be just a few weeks away from launch in the UK
• Technology Group Plans Wireless Network – Google have partnered with technology and telecommunications firms to build a new generation of wireless networks
• UK police using CCTV network worth billions to catch litter droppers - This follows on from the report last week that CCTV is not lowering crime rates
• US Air Force Aims for ‘Full Control’ of ‘Any and All’ Computers – The USAF have announced an investment of $11 million in rootkit-like technology that will allow them to hi-jack computers and build their own botnet
• Taking your laptop into the US ? Be sure to hide all your data first – If you don’t want US airport security guards to potentially see all your personal and company files, this Guardian article offers advice
• Stolen Laptop Helps Turn Tables on Suspects - The in-built iMac camera and “Back to My Mac” remote access software allowed a burglary victim to catch the culprit

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United Kingdom and Ireland:

• City needs to make space for small firms: AROUND 40 units for small businesses need to be created in Edinburgh every year to keep up with demand, a new council-commissioned report has said. Of the units, which are for a range of new businesses with up to ten employees, at least 20 need to be built every year to replace old unsuitable premises. The study was carried out by commercial property firm Ryden after Edinburgh City Council comissioned it to find out the current levels of need for small business space.
• SFA Welcomes CSO Small Business Report: SFA Welcomes publication of Small Business In Ireland 2008 Report. - Small Business at forefront of job and wealth creation. “Small businesses are both different and important. They are important because they create jobs. They are different because they are managed by people who take risks …
• FPB helps to lift small businesses out of ‘fuel poverty’: Following news that small businesses in the UK are suffering from ‘fuel poverty’ because of spiraling energy prices, the FPB is advising members to take advantage of its partnership with Utility Options and seek out cheaper utilities deals.
• FPB calls for better support for entrepreneurship to bridge the north-south divide: The FPB is calling for better support for small businesses in England, following a study revealing that, when it comes to entrepreneurship and job creation, there really is a north-south divide.
• Shake-up of workers’ rights could backfire, warns FPB: The FPB is concerned that government proposals to overhaul UK workers’ rights could backfire, creating serious staffing problems for many small businesses. The FPB believes that small firms are likely to suffer because of a plan to extend the benefits enjoyed by full-time employees to temporary workers and another to encourage ‘flexible working’ by extending to employees who are parents with older children the right to request time off work.
• Government should listen to small firms: Following a recent Government announcement that a new ‘tax forum’ is to be set up to tackle the problems of the UK’s tax system, a small business pressure group has claimeds that, once again, the Government is snubbing small businesses.
• Adam Hart-Davis joins FSBs Keep Trade Local Campaign: The Federation of Small Businesses Keep Trade Local campaign today received the backing of the scientist, social historian and broadcaster Adam Hart-Davis.
• Employment announcement could prove a nightmare for small firms: The Federation of Small Businesses today warned that the Prime Ministers announcement on the planned extension of the right to request flexible working together with new rules on agency workers could create an employment nightmare for small business owners.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) British science fiction writer 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

A lot of companies choose to purchase targeted mail lists to aid their marketing campaign. These lists are highly desirable because they can greatly improve the accuracy of a direct mailing campaign. Your income will come from renting your lists to clients and charging a premium for the most highly targeted or largest. It is up to you how involved you become in the business – you could simply rent the list or you could work alongside your clients to help with their entire campaign. As an alternative, you may decide to make mailing lists of your own which are devoted to a specific topic. These should not be rented out and instead you should sell advertising space on there.  

Skills needed: It will be necessary to have some experience of database management along with knowledge of online marketing techniques. Basic web publishing skills will be helpful to allow you to update your website easily.  

Business environment and set-up cost:  There are no barriers to this business being successful internationally.  This is an inexpensive start-up, especially if you already own your own computer equipment. The main cost will involve the design of your website and the purchase of database management software. The overall start-up cost will range from £1,500 to £3,000 (3,500- 5,500 EUR, 5,000-8,000 AUD/USD).  

Marketing Techniques:  

• Participate in the pay-per-click schemes of the popular search engines
• Place online links to your business at websites, directories and cybermalls
• Become involved in newsgroups and forums related to online advertising. Make sure that you have an attractive signature with a clickable link to your website
• Consider buying banner advertisements at the websites your target market frequent
• Offer a discount to clients who agree to include your clickable logo at the bottom of their messages
• Use OnlineOffice to set up web-site, blog and online shop to promote your business online

Complimentary business ideas: You may be able to charge for additional services such as data mining reports. 

Notes: This is a very competitive market so you will need to excel in order to be successful. Make sure it is easy for your clients and prospective clients to contact you.  

Online examples & resources:  

• Mailing Lists Online – A good example of this type of business
• Your Mailing List Provider – Email marketing software

For previous SME start-up ideas, look through the archive here  

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from India:

• On demand virtual assistants for busy professionals and Businesspeople: Most of us have heard about Elance, getafreelancer orguru where users can outsource work to freelancers on project to project basis. These services are quite popular number of individuals and small business earn their livelihood through these sites.
• The wiki for Indian Startups: Do you know what are the biggest pain points faced by entrepreneurs while starting their new venture? It is the lack of knowledge in legal, financial and company incorporation areas, especially if you are an online startup.
• Low pace works mars cricket bat cluster: Islamabad, May 12:andnbsp; Secretary, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), Dinesh Rai, expressed his concern over the delay in setting up a cricket bat cluster in the Valley.
  andnbsp;“The work on the cricket bat cluster is going at snail’s pace. I have asked the Product and Process Development Centre (PPDC) to visit the site to speed up the work,” said Rai while speaking to Greater Kashmir after supervising the Treish mineral water plant, a product of Safa
• Cut in steel prices an eyewash, says SMEs: Small and medium enterprises doubt if the latest decision by the steel producers to cut prices would bring any immediate benefit to them. SMEs also believe that the category in which steel prices have been slashed is largely used by secondary steel manufacturers, who produce finished products like pipes and sheets.
• Central team assesses function of KVIB units: Srinagar, May 11: Secretary Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, today visited the common facility centre at Sethar Sangam in Islamabad District. He was accompanied by Additional Development Commissioner MSME, Secretary KVIB Srinagar, besides other officers of the Board.
  andnbsp;The centre, in which training facility would be imparted to the entrepreneurs and artisans on modern technical know-how for skill upgradation aims to exploit the huge quantity of Kashmiri

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Today is Bloggers Unite for Human Rights Day, even amnesty international has joined in. I’m sure you will read a lot about all different kinds of countries, organisations and individuals, who in one way or another violate human rights. I want to talk to you about a different form of human rights violations, the kind we all experience almost every day.

I’m not talking about the fact that the US government and others have decided that there are humans of a “lesser” kind, also called illegal combatants. Even so this is a very slippery slope into a 1940 Nazi-Germany kind of situation, and takes the moral high-ground away from us in our legitimate fight against terrorism.

I’m talking about sexism in our society, in our businesses, in our schools and universities. This is going on in countries who have signed the declaration of human rights and violate their legal and spiritual obligation on a daily basis.

Tragically sexism is not only directional from male to female, it is happening also from female to male, male to male and female to female.

Many forms of human rights violations are so horrendous that they will quite rightly dominate the majority of todays postings, but next time we all criticize anyone for human rights violations, maybe we should spend a few seconds reflecting on our own actions.

Sexism hurts and injures people every day - let us finally change it. –ST.

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“I believe Mrs. Thatcher’s emphasis on enterprise was right.”

Tony Blair (b. 1953) former British prime minister, The Economist (1999) 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

You must first decide whether your business will need to have a physical presence somewhere or will it exist only in cyberspace. For the majority of small business start-ups today it is unnecessary and counter-intuitive to pay for office space when it is easier and far less expensive for you to work from home instead. Regardless of where you decide to base your workplace, this checklist will be useful.  

Things to remember:  

• Office Space – Whether you are working from home or in an office, it is important to feel as if you have enough space to get your work done comfortably. A poorly designed workspace will hamper your productivity and stop you from performing to your potential. Think carefully about the design of your office and experiment with different layouts in diagram form. The best offices are often ergonomically designed to create a streamlined workflow. If you opt for premises outside your home, choosing the best location will be a big decision to make. Consider your needs at work both now and in the future.
• Home-working – It is important to separate the work space in your house from the living space if possible. Noise may be an issue if you have pets or small children so make sure you can close off the workspace if you need to make phone-calls or avoid distraction. If you do not have space for a home office, consider some form of collective shared workspace with other individuals that you may know who do not need a large office to themselves.
• Office Equipment – Make a list of all the office equipment needed in order to ensure you will have all the tools to be successful. Although it may be tempting to buy cheap equipment when you first start out, you may end up spending more in the long-term if it is unreliable. Having said this, it is easy to overspend when equipping your office so try to allocate an acceptable budget in the beginning and stick to it. Make sure your equipment is insured to protect against damage and theft as this will reduce downtime if something goes wrong.
• Production Space – If you intend to produce a physical product yourself then consider the space you will need to do this. Some businesses will need both an office and an additional space – for example, if you are running a gardening business you will need somewhere to deal with paperwork and have a secure location for your tools.
• Production Equipment – The same rules apply for production equipment in that you must weigh the cost against the benefits of the money you will spend. If purchasing a new machine will significantly increase your production then you can justify the expense. Maintenance of production equipment is even more crucial than your office equipment because it will effectively close down your business until the problem is sorted, whereas if office equipment fails you can probably keep working.
• Daily Tasks – It is helpful to have a list of the workplace procedures that must take place at the end of the day such as cleaning tools, backing up hard drives or locking doors and windows. These are small things that can easily be forgotten but could make you lose work or even invalidate your insurance.
• Suppliers – You will likely need to have some form of supplier relationship, even if it is just with your Internet Service Provider and website host. You may also require stationary supplies or even parts if you assemble a product yourself. Compile a list of potential suppliers through research and narrow them down – you will likely be able to find reviews online. Once you decide on the best supplier for you, keep the details of the best alternatives in case you are disappointed by your current supplier or they go out of business.

For the previous stages of this checklist look here  

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from Australia and New Zealand:

• SME’s get more Web choices with MYOB: Business solutions company MYOB announced today it will expand its range of products to offer online Web hosting services to its SME customers.
• Business council backs tax review: TREASURER Wayne Swan has won the backing of the Business Council of Australia for his comprehensive review of the tax system.
• Nicola Kenn: Free software has silver lining: For Wellington website development company SilverStripe, international success has arrived through a rather unorthodox business plan - by giving away their product. The small company decided last year to offer its innovative website…
• BPO success demands sophisticated metrics: Business leaders are rapidly changing how they measure the success of their business process outsourcing programmes, reports analyst house Nelson Hall
• Tax overhaul looms in Aussie budget: A comprehensive review of Australia’s tax system will be unveiled with tomorrow’s federal Budget - but GST and tax-free superannuation will be off limits. Treasurer Wayne Swan said it was time for a sweeping inquiry into state,…

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“There was no question of appointing a man who was not fully trained… everything depended on his being the best man for the job before he set off. And so you took great care in selecting him.”

Anthony Jay (b. 1930) British author & business consultant 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here