Small Business Trends |
- RatePoint Customer Reviews Service Shutting Down
- Check Out These Latest Small Business Awards and Contests
- “Organize Your Home Office” For A Workable Office Space
| RatePoint Customer Reviews Service Shutting Down Posted: 28 Jan 2012 04:56 PM PST
Michael McDermott of BashFoo wrote a few days ago:
Although the date of February 2, 2012 was mentioned as the deadline date that accounts could no longer be accessed by customers to retrieve their data, some RatePoint customers are reporting that they are unable to access their accounts now. Poor Communications According to a thread at the Web Hosting Talk forum, some customers were taken by surprise by the news of the closure. They are scrambling to find a replacement for customer reviews. What baffles me is that from the homepage of the RatePoint website, it is still apparently business as usual. There is no notice of the pending closure on the RatePoint homepage, as of this writing on January 28, 2012. You have to dig into the Customer Support center to find the notice of operations discontinuing buried deep, with the date of January 4th on it. Yet over 3 weeks later, there’s nothing on the home page about it. But here’s the worst part: RatePoint made the decision to shut down as early as November 2011, according to this item in their Customer Support database. Yet they seem to have done little to notify customers and — so it would appear — kept accepting new ones in the meantime. A Venture Funded Company Goes Sour RatePoint was venture capital funded. According to a press release back in 2009, the company reported at the time that it had “closed a $10 million Series B round of funding led by Castile Ventures of Waltham, Mass., with participation by existing investors .406 Ventures and Prism VentureWorks.” Which goes to show … venture funding is no guarantee of business success. We reviewed RatePoint back in August 2011 during happier times for the company. Since then, Constant Contact acquired the email marketing portion of the business, leaving the reputation management/reviews piece behind at RatePoint. It’s the reputation management (customer reviews) piece that is shutting down at this time. What Should You Do if You Are a RatePoint Customer? So what should you do if you are a RatePoint customer?
From Small Business Trends      |
| Check Out These Latest Small Business Awards and Contests Posted: 28 Jan 2012 11:38 AM PST This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com. Also, if you’ve entered and won a contest or award listed here, let us know so we can share your news. -
The U.S. Small Business Administration is seeking nominations for its Tibbetts Awards, recognizing small-business research and innovation. The awards recognize companies that have taken part in the SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Three awards will be given, one for companies that have participated in the SBIR/STTR programs, one for individuals who advocate on behalf of the programs, and a third “Hall of Fame” award recognizing companies that have a track record of success in research, innovation and product commercialization within the SBIR or STTR program. Small Business Book Awards
This year, over 100 books have already been nominated with over 2 weeks to go. Books published between November 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011 are eligible. You can nominate one book – or as many books as you like, and anyone can nominate. Authors, you are encouraged to nominate your own book. Publishers and publicists can also nominate books. Book lovers — you can nominate, too!
Nominations for winners in eight categories will be accepted on the event's new website in a unique, open format. Every submitted nomination in every category can be viewed immediately by visitors to the site and shared to social media channels, delivering increased global visibility for all nominees. The annual gala on March 30, 2012 celebrates and honors the brightest technology leaders and innovators from across the state.
Vertical Response is searching for the country’s most promising teen entrepreneurs with the “Next Teen Tycoon” online video contest. The contest is open to teens between 13 and 18 years old who have their own business or a viable business idea. The top three contest winners will receive prizes totaling more than $10,000 in worth. They include one grand prize winner, who will receive $4,000 in “seed cash” to help him/her launch or grow the business, and a trip to the 2012 TEDxTeen conference in New York. Two second place winners will win $2,000 in “seed cash” each.
If you have been in business at least five years, have annual revenues of less than $5 million and have realized success from a specific strategy you've implemented within the past two years, you are encouraged to apply for the coveted 2012 Small Business Strategy Award. The winner will be announced at the Seventh Annual Small Business Summit in New York City on March 6, 2012.
The Awards Committee of the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is accepting nominations of local businesses for the 2011 Excellence in Small Business Award. The award will be presented at the Chamber-Tourism's Award Celebration. The category provides public recognition for the accomplishments of small businesses, those employing ten or fewer full-time employees. This category requires demonstration of growth, overall stability, a positive community image, leadership and civic involvement. Nominees do not have to be a member of the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, but must be a Fulton County business.
The TechStart Fund was created to spur technology innovation at its very earliest stage. The fund provides entrepreneurial or student teams with initial capital so they can determine whether a technology concept and business are viable and whether future funding can be obtained to launch a new business. Teams applying for TechStart funding will need to participate in a 10-week program, during which they will be provided with mentors and various professional resources offering strategic guidance in launching a new business. The initial 10-week pilot program will be held at CTech@Science Park at Yale in New Haven and will begin in March 2012. See website for more details and entry requirements.
The Small Business Makeover contest is designed to help small business owners augment or adjust their business in order to save time, grow and prosper in 2012 and beyond. The contest will award three small businesses a makeover from Office Depot, which includes a one-on-one financial coaching session with Jean Chatzky, office furniture, and supplies featuring Jean’s line of Mead financial organization products, available exclusively at Office Depot. Small businesses can enter the contest by visiting Office Depot’s Facebook page and submitting, in 100 words or less, why their small business is in need of a makeover.
The 2nd Annual Amazing Entrepreneur Business Plan Competition is an initiative by Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development and The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to foster new business development in Gwinnett County, GA. The contest is open to individuals who own or manage a small business, which has been in operation less than 36 months, in Gwinnett County. The Grand Prize winner will receive $2500 cash to be used solely for the business entering the contest, a trip to Sage Software's Customer Conference in Nashville, TN (airfare, hotel stay, conference fees), one-year membership to Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, one-year participation in the Chamber's Gwinnett Business Institute program ($180 value), a consultation with an attorney from Arnall Golden Gregory ($2500 value), and research assistance from Chamber's economic development department
For the second year, Chicago-area small businesses are being recognized for their marketing success. Constant Contact kicked off the 2012 Small Business Online Marketing Contest today in partnership with the Chicago City Treasurer’s Office. The contest will award more than $12,000 in cash and prizes to businesses submitting winning entries in “Best Business Email Marketing” and “Best Overall Users of Social Media” categories, including “Rookie Awards.”
The CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards recognize California small businesses that reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, promote climate friendly practices and integrate the tools on CoolCalifornia.org into their business operations. There are two award categories: CoolCalifornia Small Business of the Year Award, and CoolCalifornia Climate Leader Award. Brother Small Business Grant Program StartupNation has collaborated with Brother, a leader in small business technology, to bring you The grant program will award a total of $25,000 to five small business owners who submit the most original and creative business plan.
Verizon wants to hear about Southern California small businesses’ technology challenges and will award a business makeover worth more than $5,000 to the company that best tells its story. Register and submit an essay, of no longer than 500 words, describing the technology challenges facing your business. Small businesses also have the opportunity to win a $500 American Express Gift Card if they view quick, informative videos about Verizon Small Business solutions on the contest website. A panel of judges will determine the grand-prize winner and four semifinalists. The grand prize consists of $2,000 in cash; an HP Laptop; a Verizon Wireless 4G LTE LG Revolution Smart Phone; the Intuit Website Design Services Package; and Mobile Pay and Google Personal Support for Google Products. The semifinalists will each receive custom business-technology recommendations valued at $125.
Staples has launched its “Give Your Small Business the Push It Needs” contest, which will offer five small businesses up to $50,000 in free television advertising in their home market. To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar. Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award. From Small Business Trends     |
| “Organize Your Home Office” For A Workable Office Space Posted: 28 Jan 2012 05:30 AM PST
Organize Your Home Office for Success is an easy-to-use book for business owners as well as at home corporate employees trying to create or reclaim their office space. The book is well laid out and while you can read it cover to cover, it works just as well if you go straight to the section where you need to get started. This is the fourth edition of the book, which was originally published in 1993. I was very excited when I received a review copy of the latest edition because it also includes updated online tools under the electronic home office chapter. What Organize Your Home Office For Success Covers The book advocates flexibility over a one size fits all mentality. And the author freely admits that she doesn't always agree with other experts in the field. Some areas covered in the book include:
The author is one of the Nation's Leading Home Office Experts Lisa Kanarek is one of only a handful of home office experts who is also an interior designer. She is the author of five books about working from home and the founder of WorkingNaked (@WorkingNaked on Twitter). Lisa has been a guest on several national programs including CNN Financial News and American Public Radio as well as featured in the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Expert Strategies It is often tough to carve out time and space for your home office. Often you need to set-up boundaries both in your calendar and around your home office. You can never lose sight of the need to maintain professionalism, which is why the author encourages you to maintain normal business hours as much as possible and spending the necessary money on quality office supplies and marketing materials. When setting up your home office, the author addresses the very first item – creating space for the office itself. We fill often fill our homes to the brim so this is no easy task. The section on de-cluttering and staying de-cluttered is key. Whether you choose a U-shape, L-shape or parallel workspace, office ergonomics are important to keep in mind. Over eighty percent of office workers say that their office furniture is uncomfortable, so don't skimp in this area. Lisa encourages you to try out all office chair adjustments in person. The book also includes Lisa’s P-A-P-E-R System that provides five options for dealing with paper:
While Lisa recognizes that technology changes daily, she includes several ways to improve email, voice mail and electronic filing to make the electronic home office more effective. There is a splendidly comprehensive list of software and online tools ranging from online back-ups to to-do lists. Resource Guide Lisa does not shy away from including several pages of resources ranging from furniture to office supplies and even includes associations to help out small business owners. You will find even more resources listed along with her blog and entertaining videos on her site, WorkingNaked. Who will benefit most from this book? Entrepreneurs and home-based corporate employees will benefit the most from this book. Whether you already have an office that's out of control or setting one up from scratch, this book focuses on creating functional and productive home offices that meet each individual's working style. The Bottom Line A successful home office doesn't just happen. It needs to be planned and thought out to work effectively. Use Organize Your Home Office for Success – Expert Strategies That Can Work For You to start your home office action plan today. From Small Business Trends     |
One of our readers alerted us
Nominations are now open for the 4th Annual Small Business Book Awards. They recognize business books of special interest to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Last year there were 106 books nominated and 41,000 votes cast by the community.
the 2012 Brother Small Business Grant Program.
Many small business owners work from home, but very few of these same owners would be comfortable inviting a prospective client to see their home office. The home office often ranges from controlled chaos to a black hole where invoices and client information are never seen from again. | You are subscribed to email updates from Small Business News, Tips, Advice - Small Business Trends To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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