Everything from learning another language, to classes to meetings are being done via the Internet. So why not a conference? Video conferencing has been around since the 1960′s World Fair. It has been utilized only among large companies for the most part. But what about the beginning entrepreneur? What is the great importance of this method of communication? What could be used to aid in the commercialization of this service? These question plague the buzzing minds of many but solutions are plenty.

Sometimes people do not have the means to meet with clients face to face. Especially when you are a beginning Entrepreneur or if your company is web based. The next best thing would be a video conference. This still allows for a more personal way of communicating without breaking the bank.

Add-on web cams have been the main source of many video conferences for many years now. The only down side is that most of us have no open USB ports for this addition. Any many of these devices are pretty laggy and has a low resolution and almost makes it not worth the trouble. For the record there are good ones out there. I just have never been a web cam type person. Read the rest of this entry →

It is the age of gadgets. We are in an area where if you hesitate you’ll be left in cyber dust. The beginning entrepreneur is caught in a difficult battle between those who refuse to move with the times and the ones who are only interested in the “what’s next”. So what do you do and how do you do it?

There is no way around it. You must be progressive in your presentation in order to be successful. The way you can persuade the stubborn is by slowly upgrading your services. This way you can keep them interested while not interfering with the integrity of your service. This should allow for an easy transition without the potential of losing a valued customer.

Now, on to the good stuff! You’ve pleased your clients with traditional ideas, so how do you wow those who are into the now? Well good thing 2010 is the year of the tablet. These mobile devices allow for mobility and are extremely eye catching. Your choice depends on what you believe is essential in your line of work and for your client. Read the rest of this entry →

The true definition of a Small Business is a business that is independently owned and operated, is not dominant in its field of operation, and meets certain standards of size in terms of employees or annual receipts. The purpose of this post is to give people a few statistics on small businesses, as well as hopefully impact your impression and interest in small businesses.

The effects of small businesses on the economy

1. There are over 20 million full and part-time home-based businesses in the United States.
2. Nearly 750,000 tax-paying, employee-hiring businesses are started every year.
3. Small Businesses create 75 percent of the new jobs in the United States.
4. Of all non-produce businesses in the United States, almost 97 percent are considered small by the SBA standards.
5. Small businesses account for more than 50 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
6. About 80 percent of all Americans get their first job at a small business.

Although there are so many small businesses that open every year, many studies say that a third of them fail in the first four years. Another study says roughly 60 percent of them fail within the first six years! So I am going to continue with some reasons why a lot of them fail so you can think through these things.

Why small businesses fail

1. Testing the Waters: Plunging in without testing on a small scale.
2. Pricing: Underpricing or overpricing goods or services.
3. Marketing: Understanding how much time it will take to build a market.
4. Money Starting with too much capital and being careless or too little and going under.
5. Experience: Going into business with little or no experience in the industry or market.
6. Management: A lot of small businesses go out of business because of poor management.

As a small web development company, we had to run through this list to make sure we were starting our business on the path of success. This is how we met each of these requirements to ensure our success, maybe these models will help you in your venture as well.

We started with (and you should as well) experience. All of the employees in Chosen come from a design, marketing, or development related background and know their talents well. This is crucial as more web related businesses begin to spring up, many do not have the background, experience or skills needed to develop high quality applications, and portfolios can be very misleading. To ensure that our employees are competent, we have them get certified for specific technologies via Brainbench, as well as blog and host seminars to share their skills with others (studies say the best way to learn is to teach). Once we had done this with our core team, we knew we had the experience and knowledge base to move to the next step. Read the rest of this entry →

Social Media websites are so popular now that businesses are even competing on this platform to reach their target market online before their competitors. No one can deny the power of social media. Businesses have witnessed remarkable results. Consequently, we also want a piece of it to increase our sales and enjoy more profits.

It all seems so nice, but it’s not so easy. You need to have access to right tools and you need to know how to use them correctly. Only then you can enjoy growth and success.

So, to make your life easy, we will talk about a few powerful social media sites that can bring a positive change in your life by making your business successful.
Read the rest of this entry →

YGG readers! Before we get back to the much awaited business blogging we have an interview that you WILL NOT want to miss.  Intro to Shama Kabani, President of the Marketing Zen Group and suitably named one of the 10 Most Influential and Powerful Women in Social Media.  The Marketing Zen Group is a full-service online Marketing firm who specializes in turning clicks into clients.  Check out Shama’s own Web TV show “Shama TV” as she gives you tips and tricks to come out on top of the Social Media game.  Here is our YGG interview with Shama Kabani and check back for our review of her newly released book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing.
We know you’re a “Young Go Getter”, but so our readers know, how old are you?

25 in 2 WEEKS! I’m celebrating in Las Vegas. Okay…okay – I am speaking in Las Vegas around my birthday so I figured we might as well mix business with pleasure!

Can you tell us the quick history about yourself, and what drives you to succeed?

Well, I run The Marketing Zen Group – a full service digital marketing firm based in Dallas with a staff of 20. My background is in academia – as I studied social networking in graduate school at UT Austin. I am driven by a sense of wanting to give back to the world – whether it is teaching social media marketing to business owners or hiring talented folks to grow our company. Right now, it gives me great pleasure that our business sustains 20 families and supports a global clientele.

We know you are a younggogetter, but I am sure there is more to you than that. What are some other jobs you have done prior to you current one or new projects you are currently working on?

Today I am an author and run a digital marketing firm, but before that I ran a coaching practice. Prior to that, I was in graduate school getting a degree in Organizational Communication.

Adversely, what has been your biggest vice?

I have 2 big vices. Chocolate and books! This is what I spend most of my money on. = )

What can we expect next from the talented Shama Kabani in the near future?

TV? I do love shooting my web TV show – Shama.Tv. Right now I am enjoying doing both – building my company and my personal brand. I am definitely going to continue to speak, and I am hoping to write more books. Writing The Zen of Social Media Marketing has been SUCH a surreal and rewarding feeling.

Everyone starts to feel burnt out on a project every now and then. What do you do to keep yourself motivated and focused?

That is an excellent question! Believe it or not – I read! I love reading historical fiction to recharge. I also love hanging out with my family and playing with my dog Snoopy (the office mascot!).

Can you give us three tools that you use every single day to make your life as a younggogetter more efficient, productive, and fun?

My three favorite tools are: The Kindle, Skype, and Outlook. The Kindle allows me to tote around multiple books – especially when my speaking engagements have me traveling cross country. Skype allows me to keep in touch with all our employees across the globe. I can’t imagine a better tool for communication! Outlook keeps me organized! I know it is a bit more old school than Gmail – but I still think it is a very valuable tool.

What is your favourite quote?

When you get to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.” – Edward Teller

And last but not least, if you could give one piece of advice to fellow Young Go Getters, what would it be?

Be OPEN! So many times I see Young Go Getters who keep trying their hand at one thing because someone told them that is how you make money or because that is what they “studied” for. You have to be open to where life takes you and then make the best of it.