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

“It’s not the hours you put in your work that count, it’s work you put in your hours.”

Sam Ewing (1920-2001) US author 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

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

• Munch ‘n’ mingle your way to business success - News on a Canadian initiative encouraging small technology startups to network
• Is VoIP a good idea for small business? - With the growing popularity of VoIP, could it help your business save money?
• First release candidate for Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 - The new version of MS Small Business Server has entered Beta
• The Guessing Game Has Begun on the Next iPhone – The new model is expected to be unveiled on 9^tth June at Apple’s annual developers conference
• Apple to ‘rule the home’ by 2013 - A study suggests that Apple will be the hub of the future digital home
• Mac OS X 10.5.3 To Fix over 200 Bugs – The new OS update will be around 500MB in size
• Singapore firm claims patent to image search – A technology firm in Singapore is making a bold claim
• Hands-on with the MSI Wind ultra-portable – A look at a tiny notebook coming soon to the UK
• Download Day 2008 – Firefox 3 attempts to set a Guinness World Record
• Ballmer and Gates Demo Windows 7 – New OS to focus on touch-screen interface
• Hacker takes $50,000 a few cents at a time – Using a loophole in Paypal and Google Checkout, a hacker has made over $50,000
• Theme park bans PDA’s – During the half-term period, PDA’s were banned fromAlton Towers in the UK
• MIT helps develop new image-recognition software - A look at the advancements being made in this area of tech
• Google tops UK ’s best workplace list - The unusual approach Google takes to work has made them the best
• Harness Gen Y talent even when you hate them – An article examining the benefits of hiring ‘Gen Y’ talent
• Student isolates microbe that lunches on plastic bags - An amazing discovery has been made by young student
• Small Business, Big Advantage - Some good advice on how to make the most of the small size of your business

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:

• SME Lorry Drivers HEad For London Fuel Duty Protest: Hundreds of lorry drivers, many self employed or small business owners, have descended on London’s Marble Arch today, for a rally to protest at rising fuel costs that are driving many out of business.
• Chancellor Tops SME Poll For Excessive Red Tape: It is often said that people have a short memory when it comes to politics, and so it should be no surprise that chancellor Alistair Darling should top a poll as the person most UK entrepreneurs hold responsible for excessive red tape and bureaucracy.
• ISME and eBay give ‘online-selling’ masterclasses: The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association (ISME), has announced that it is to team up with eBay.ie to host a number of masterclasses on how to sell on line.
• Impact on credit crunch is beginning to be felt, FPB warns small businesses: The FPB is highlighting research showing that, while some industries have experienced a fall in the number of firms going into administration, despite the credit crunch, there has been a significant rise across most sectors.
• Small Business Confidence Remains High: The majority of business owners are forecasting rough times ahead for others but not for themselves.
• Tax discriminates against self-employed: Discrimination in the Irish tax system against the self-employed is threatening entrepreneurship the president of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants has said.
• Sharp rise in North West businesses going into administration: The FPB is calling for more support for smaller firms in the North West, which are becoming increasingly vulnerable because of the credit crunch. Research carried out by accountancy firm Deloitte has found that the number of businesses going into administration in the region has increased dramatically in the first quarter of 2008. The FPB believes that measures to stimulate entrepreneurship and allow smaller firms to compete with their larger rivals, such as cutting tax and red tape, should be far higher on the Government’s agenda.

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 

“People were skeptical about the new technology. They wanted it to be de-risked.”

Jon Florsheim (b. 1960) British Internet entrepreneur, Marketing (August 2000) 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

An ad network is an effective method of effectively delivering online advertising to a target market. Your responsibility as manager of the network would be to sell adverts and find appropriate high-traffic websites on which to place adverts for your clients. This is not unlike traditional ad agencies in that your priority is to identify target demographics for the client and your revenue comes from a percentage of the overall marketing budget you are managing.  

Skills needed: You will need to know how the online advertising business operates. If you have graphic design skills then you will be able to create your own banner advertisements for clients – this will eliminate the cost of outsourcing this service.  

Business environment and set-up cost:  Due to the nature of online advertising, there are no real barriers to you working for overseas clients. You will need all the standard computer hardware and will need to get your website developed and hosted. The main expense will be the software required to run the network, as it needs to be powerful enough to serve the correct adverts to website visitors and provide your clients with reports on the traffic and trends it records. The overall start-up cost will range from £1,500 to £5,000 (2,000- 6,000 EUR, 3,000-10,000 AUD/USD), however the sky is the limit as far as advertising software is concerned and therefore the most sophisticated and highly targeted software can cost up to £50,000 (65,000 EUR or 100,000 AUD/USD).  

Marketing Techniques:  

• Participate in the pay-per-click schemes of the popular search engines
• Become involved in newsgroups and forums related to online advertising or the industries targeted by your ad network, using a clickable banner as a signature that links to your website
• Place links to your website at online advertising directories
• Use your own ad network to place targeted banner advertisements for your services
• Run an affiliate program to generate referrals and increase awareness of your business
• Use OnlineOffice to set up web-site, blog and online shop to promote your business online

Complimentary business ideas: If you have graphic design skills then you can offer additional advert design services  

Notes: Make sure that the software you purchase is the right one for your level of business – this will require some research on your part as to how sophisticated it will need to be. Be readily available for your clients via phone or e-mail and be prepared to offer them last-minute volume discounts to get rid of excess capacity ad space.  

Online examples & resources:  

• ValueClick Media – One of the largest ad networks
• iMedia Connection – A list of the major internet ad networks

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:

• TasksEveryday.com: On demand virtual assistants for busy professionals and Businesspeople: Most of us have heard about Elance,getafreelancer or guru 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.
• US small biz sentiment still shaky: The majority of small business owners think the US economy is getting worse, though sentiment showed some improvement in May from its recent lows, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
• Sebi proposes bourses for SMEs: Acknowledging the concerns of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in accessing capital market, market regulator Sebi proposed a dedicated stock exchange for them with some relaxed norms.
• IBM launches AnyPlace kiosk model for small retailers: Global IT giant, IBM, on Thursday said it has rolled out a new IBM AnyPlace kiosk model in the country, which would enable its clients to provide an increased number of self-service options to their customers.
• desiwiki: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.
• Big retailers plan big by thinking small, eye bottom of pyramid: While organised retail is not going to hurt small retailers, according to a report released by New Delhi-based Indian Council For Research on International Economic Relations yesterday, big retailers are planning to become bigger by thinking small.

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 

“I want Britain to be a nation of entrepreneurs, a nation where talent and ability flourish.”

Tony Blair (b. 1953) former British prime minister 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

Being organised enough to keep good financial records can be just as important to the success of a company as having the creativity to come up with a unique business idea. Problems often arise in successful start-ups because the most creative people are the ones least concerned with bureaucracy and recordkeeping - something they soon regret not taking an interest in when they are subject to a tax inspection or need to apply for a loan.  

Things to remember:  

• Recordkeeping allows you to keep track of your financial situation and measure your progress towards set objectives
• Estimate your start-up costs and work out how much money you will need for the first year of business. If in doubt, estimate higher rather than lower
• Set up a ledger to record all transactions. This can be easily managed using the accounting function in OnlineOffice
• Make sure you have systems in place to manage cash transactions i.e. numbered sales invoices
• Use a calendar to remind you about important deadlines such as tax dates or payroll schedules. This feature is also present in OnlineOffice
• If you have employees, bear in mind that there are certain mandatory records that must be kept. These range from keeping a log of accidents they suffer through to keeping a full history of their personnel details and tax records
• You will need to keep your receipts, purchases and various expenses as proof for a number of years.  By scanning copies into the Document Store of OnlineOffice you could keep a permanent record of financial documents

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:

• SMEs unlikely to be moved by new laws: Moves to reduce tax compliance costs were unlikely to have a significant effect on businesses’ overall compliance burden, say tax experts. Finance minister Michael Cullen and revenue minister Peter Dunne yesterday said legislation…
• Forum for small businesses: Australian ministers will join their New Zealand counterparts in Christchurch tomorrow to talk about climate change, regulatory reforms and small business. Small Business Minister Clayton Cosgrove said it was the first time New…
• Petrol price promise non-core: KEVIN Rudd’s election promise to keep petrol prices low has been exposed as non-core. That was confirmed when Climate Change and Water Minister Penny Wong announced that the cost of carbon credits from the forthcoming emissions trading scheme would apply to petrol. The cost is likely to be equivalent to doubling the GST at the bowser.

• Small Business Ministerial Council in Christchurch: Small Business Ministerial Council meets on trans-Tasman issues in Christchurch tomorrow. Climate change, regulatory reforms and improving the ease of doing business are key agenda items for the Small Business Ministerial Council meeting in Christchurch tomorrow, says the Small Business Minister Clayton Cosgrove.

• National small business summit for Sydney: The 2008 Virgin Blue National Small Business Summit will be held at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel on June 11. Convened by the Council of Small Business of Australia, the summit will bring together leading business figures, regulators and senior parliamentarians to discuss and review the significant challenges and opportunities facing Australia’s dynamic small business sector.

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 

“Trahey’s Simple Rule: Would you hire you?”

Jeff Trahey (1923-2000) US copywriter 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here