In the second half of 2019, Intel’s collaboration with Dell, HP, Lenovo and Microsoft will deliver 5G always-connected Windows PCs. But given the finctionality and the cost of these new devices, will your business be interested?  Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) announced it would be demonstrating the new PCs at Mobile World Congress 2018 Feb. 26 to March 1 in Barcelona.

Intel Will Bring 5G to Mobile PCs In 2019

Intel uses its XMM 8000 series commercial 5G modems to provide the connectivity for the detachable 2 in 1 computers. Always connected computers were recently announced by other manufacturers, including ASUS with its NovaGo (2-in-1 convertible) and HP with the Envy X2 in December of 2017. As true 5G trials are about to get started, the hardware side of the new network technology has to quickly catch up to take advantage of the blazing speeds.

For small businesses looking to improve communications, interactions, operations and service delivery, the always-connected PCs with 5G will kick up their capabilities up several notches. Instant video communications will become the norm, which will allow you to conduct face-to-face real-time virtual interactions with your customers, partners, vendors and remote workforce.

In the press release, Intel said it is, “Investing deeply across its wireless portfolio and partners to bring 5G-connected mobile PCs to market, with benefits for users, like high-quality video on-the-go, high-end gaming, and seamless connections as users traverse Wi-Fi and cellular networks. With 5G’s critical speeds and capacity, Intel will help to open the door to new experiences hardly imaginable today, and make connecting online from anywhere, anytime the norm.”

As a side note, another demonstration at Mobile World Congress 2018 of always-connected PCs will see the collaboration of Microsoft and Qualcomm. The companies will be showcasing ASUS and HP and Lenovo Miix 630 (2-in-1 detachable) devices lso using similar 5G technology. These PCs will be available from Amazon and in Microsoft Stores online in the U.S. next month, way ahead of Intel’s delivery date.

Price

The price range for the Intel always-connected PCs hasn’t been announced. However, the HP Envy X2 is available for pre-order for $999, the Asus NovaGo starts at $599 and goes up to $799, and the Lenovo Miix 630 is also expected to start at $799 price range.

Bearing in mind these laptops are running on a mobile processor with Windows S, businesses will have to seriously consider whether the connectivity is worth the high price and limitations of these computers.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “Intel Says 5G Mobile PCs Coming But Will Price be Business Friendly?” was first published on Small Business Trends

A penny saved is a penny earned. –Benjamin Franklin

One thing many entrepreneurs struggle with is money management. You can have the greatest idea on the planet, but if you can’t keep cash flow going and feeding your business, it will starve out.

You can’t treat your startup like a piggybank, even if it feels like you’re doing really, really well.

It’s important to develop smart money habits within your startup right from Day One, so that good financial management becomes an integral piece of your company’s culture.

Smart Money Strategies for Startups

These tips will help you get started:

Don’t Pay Yourself Too Much

Don’t make the common mistake of confusing revenue with profit. Money coming in doesn’t mean you can pay yourself a big chunk–not initially! First, you need to consider your combined overhead costs: payroll, taxes, fixed costs, etc.

I was actually the lowest paid person in my first ten hires. Invest in yourself first; pay yourself last.

Focus on Value When Hiring

When hiring employees and/or contractors, choose quality over quantity. If you have the right hire, it’s like you’ve hired 20 engineers. It is definitely worth investing the time in screening and interviewing well to ensure you get the right people on board early in the game.

Defer Admin Roles until Later On

The entire startup scene is so competitive, you have to be agile and stay lean. There’s no other option. You might even have to be your own human resources and accountant in the beginning. This isn’t entirely bad, though; these are functions you need to know about your own business so when you are able to delegate to someone else later on, you can still oversee operations knowledgeably.

Use Software for Tasks you can Automate

That brings us to our next point… automate every single thing that you can. Any task you can automate is more time you’re putting back into your business. And your time is money! MailChimp can be used to store contacts send emails and track results. Help Scout can automate several functions for your entire team. Whatever you need done, see if can be done with software, especially if it falls within those administrative tasks above, that you don’t have time for anyway. Don’t let the monthly or annual licensing fee scare you off–there are costs to doing business and you have to compare it against what it costs you in real time at your top hourly rate to do everything yourself.

Choose Accounting Software that can Scale

Freshbooks is a great choice for consultants and service-based startups, since it has time-tracking features and other tools to help you track the costs within your projects. QuickBooks has richer reporting and is pretty easy to scale, as it can grow with your business by bumping up a level as needed. There’s also Sage, Zoho, Xero, WorkingPoint, Yendo and more. Bottom line: ask for recommendations from people with businesses similar to use and get this one right the first time, as it’s a pain to switch later.

Consider Cash Flow

Depending on your product or service, you may want to offer an incentive for paying annually upfront (if you’re subscription-based) or for paying in full at time of purchase instead of invoicing. You’ll also need to establish accounts receivable guidelines and collection timelines to ensure money continues coming in when you expect it.

Get Right with Budget Alignment and Allocation

Ensure your budget aligns with the resources you’ll need to hit each of your growth milestones. This is something you’ll want to revisit often. If you aren’t meeting your goals, could it be because you’re running too thin in that area and need to pull budget from elsewhere? Get right with this because if you’re not growing, you’re dying, especially in your easily startup days.

Hire a Tax Professional with Early Stage Start-up Experience

This is one place you don’t want to skimp. You haven’t experienced stress until a letter arrives from the IRS informing you they’re going to be auditing your tax records from the past four years. Or that you owe them thousands of dollars in back taxes. It is crucial that you understand and account for your tax obligations. You can still automate your bookkeeping and keep this in-house, but consult with a tax professional within your state who has direct experience with early stage startups and make sure it’s done right.

In general, the more you know about your business, the more successful you’ll be. Remember that you’re not supposed to make money instantly! Keep as much money as you can in the business to feed its growth and you’ll enjoy exponential returns later on.

Republished by permission. Original here.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “The Truth About Smart Money Management for Startups, Follow These 8 Tips” was first published on Small Business Trends

The data says your company should probably voice its opinion on the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

If not that specifically, then at least the debate on gun control and gun laws.

In a recent survey from Sprout Social, 66 percent of consumers say it’s important for companies to take stands on issues like this.

In this case, brands are being urged to join the #BoycottNRA movement and drop any perks they offer to NRA members.

Center for American Progress Action Fund claims these companies have already dropped their partnerships with the NRA: Teladoc, SimpliSafe, Chubb, LifeLock, Norton, MetLife, First National Bank of Omaha, Enterprise, Alamo, National Car Rental.

Other companies, like FedEx, have resisted the pressure to sever ties with the NRA.

Should Your Small Business Take a Stand on School Shootings and the #BoycottNRA Movement?

So, should your small business take a stand in some way in the wake of this school shooting?

Of course, the answer depends on the type of small business you own, where it’s located, and your thoughts on the subject.

The data from Sprout Social says there’s more reward than risk with getting involved. 28 percent of those responding say they’ll publicly praise a company that joins a movement like #BoycottNRA. However, just 20 percent who disagree with your stance will chastise your company in public.

Of course, some major brands — like FedEx — are less likely to avoid public criticism the longer they stay out of the debate.

If you’re opposed to any new gun laws being passed in response to the latest school shooting, then it’s likely you and your brand will keep quiet on the issue. Getting involved may only invite negative responses from those who oppose your views within your community.

Staying out of the debate likely won’t offend the audience more likely to agree with your message. The Sprout Social data shows that conservatives are rather indifferent on social movements like this. Getting involved or not likely won’t change their mind about your brand.

Only 52 percent of conservatives who responded to Sprout Social said they wanted brands to take stands on big issues.

However, those who call themselves liberal say they really do want brands to take a stand. In this case, that would be either joining the #BoycottNRA movement or at least coming out publicly in support of the movement’s message. A total of 78 percent of liberals want a brand to get involved in social movements.

If you’re so inclined to get involved in the debate, consider the consequences if you do.

First, not everyone will be thrilled with your statements. It may even cost you some customers. That’s especially true in some areas with different views on guns and gun ownership.

For other small businesses located in areas where their message is likely to be more well received, the stance you take on the gun debate may actually increase customers’ awareness of your brand.

Where should you get involved? In the survey, 58 percent of consumers said social media is a proper place for brands to express their thoughts.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “Brands Make Decisions on NRA Support, What Should Your Small Business Do?” was first published on Small Business Trends

A new partnership will integrate ZipRecruiter’s online employment marketplace platform with ADP’s RUN Powered HR packages. Together they will allow small businesses to quickly find the talent they need inside their HR and payroll solution.

ZipRecruiter and ADP Partner Up

The smart talent matching technology of ZipRecruiter will join the more than half a million small businesses in the United States who leverage ADP for their HR and payroll services. Using AI technology, ZipRecruiter is going to make it possible for companies to get quality candidates much faster, even in the current tightening labor market.

When the labor market is tightening, small businesses have to start competing with large companies to fill their positions. And with low unemployment rates of 4.1 percent, it has become much harder finding the talent.

Maria Black, president of Small Business Solutions and Human Resources Outsourcing at ADP (NASDAQ: ADP), hit on this very topic in a press release announcing the partnership. Black explained, “In today’s tight labor market, finding great talent is one of the toughest parts of running a small or midsize business. The small businesses we work with don’t have the luxury of having a position vacant for long. Finding and hiring the right candidate quickly is critical to their success.”

Black goes on to say this was one of the reasons ADP partnered with ZipRecruiter, “To help companies hire smarter, giving them back valuable time to focus on running their businesses.”

The Integration

When the applications from both companies are fully integrated, ZipRecruiter’s functionality will be offered as a built-in feature in all RUN Powered by ADP HR packages. Businesses will be able to access the new functionality from their payroll platform without additional sign-ins.

The ADP RUN Powered recruiting platform will increase its reach for finding candidates by more than 100 job boards with the ZipRecruiter integration. The integration of ZipRecruiter into ADP’s services is the latest in a series of partnerships the company has initiated to provide additional options to  its small business clients.

For ZipRecruiter, which just raised $50 million in funding increasing its total valuation to $1 billion, the new integration means access to hundreds of thousands of small businesses in the ADP ecosystem. When these companies next look to make a new hire, they will use ZipRecruiter’s technology to simplify the process.

Ian Siegel, CEO and co-founder of ZipRecruiter, said, “By teaming with ADP, we are able to bring the muscle of our cutting-edge recruiting technology to ADP customers, giving them a competitive advantage in how they find and hire great talent.”

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “ZipRecruiter and ADP Partner to Make Small Businesses More Competitive in Hiring” was first published on Small Business Trends

With $1,000 becoming the norm for high-end flagship phones, making them business friendly is a challenge, especially for small businesses.

For the big carriers, the question is how are they going to get the new phones into the hands of customers in a manner that is affordable? It is going to be even more difficult because the difference between the Galaxy S8 and S9 might not be enough to warrant spending the extra cash for the new version. You can look at all the specs in the infographic at the bottom of the article to compare the two phones.

Samsung introduced the Galaxy S9 and S9+ over the weekend at Mobile World Congress 2018. And with the tagline ‘The camera. Reimagined.’ it is easy to see where the company focused most of its effort. The camera and software have been upgraded along with the latest Snapdragon 845 processor, more RAM and storage options, stereo speakers, a smarter Bixby, AR emoji and improved security integration. 

Galaxy S9 Price by Carrier

The big four carriers want to get the S9 and S9+ in your hands, but flagship smartphones have become an expensive item. One alterantive is low monthly payments with additional incentives such as trade-ins and replacement when new models come around. Here is a list of what the carriers are charging for Samsung’s latest Galaxy line, along with the price for the Galaxy S8, the previous version.

AT&T

AT&T is offering the S9 with monthly payments of $26.34 per month for 30 months and the S9+ will run you $30.50 per month for the same number of months.

If you want to buy it outright, the S9 is $790.20 and S9+ will be $915.

The S8 is $749.99. 

Sprint

Sprint offers up to $350 in trade-ins for eligible phones, which can be applied towards the cost of the new S9s.

The monthly installments start at $33 per month for 24 months for the S9 and $38 per month for 24 months for the S9+. And purchasing the phones outright will cost you $792 and $912 respectively for the S9 and S9+.

The S8 is $750.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile also has trade-in incentives for flagship phones, including iPhone 6S and Galaxy S7. And you can get up to $360 off towards the purchase of S9s with an installment plan.

With T-Mobile, the monthly payments come to $30 per months for 24 months for both phones, however, you will have to make a $120 deposit for the S9+.

The S8 is $750.

Verizon

If you choose the installment plan, Verizon has a trade-in program which applies $100 to $350 towards the S9s.

The monthly payment is $33.33 per month for 24 months for the S9 and $38.74 per month for the S9+ — also for 24 months. Buying it outright is $800 for the S9 and $930 for the S9+.

The S8 is $756. 

Samsung

If you want to buy the phones from Samsung, you can buy them outright for $719.99 and $839.99 respectively for the S9 and S9+.

The installment plan comes out to $30 per month for 24 months for the S9 and $35 for the S9+ — again for the same two year period.

The company also offers trade-ins for its phones, with the value of the phone being spread across 24 monthly payments of the new purchase.

The S8 is $724.99.

Images: Samsung

This article, “Are Samsung S9 and S9+ Priced for Your Small Business Budget?” was first published on Small Business Trends

The Cisco 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report, now in its 11th year, reveals an increased dependence on automation, machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect potential cyber attacks..

Cisco 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report

The Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) report looks at the trending techniques being used by attackers and defenders with the goal of helping organizations better defend themselves. The report includes comprehensive security industry data, analysis and insights into what attackers were up to over the past year. And the Cisco 2018 Security Capabilities Benchmark Study, which is part of the report, delivers the insights of more than 3,600 Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and security industry leaders from 26 countries regarding their security position.

For small businesses, who are now facing the biggest cybersecurity risks, it means being proactive in protecting your digital presence. This is especially important as you conduct more transactions online and have the personal financial data of your customers.

On the Cisco blog, John Stewart writes, “No single strategy, technological solution or approach will solve all of the challenges that our adversaries throw at us. It takes a comprehensive and unified approach across people, process, technology and policy. By making strategic security improvements, employing advanced technologies and industry leading practices, defenders can increase visibility into a miscreant’s actions, slow their progress, and minimize their exposure to risk.”

Use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Organizations are using machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to overcome the lack of visibility of attackers using encryption. The advanced capabilities of machine learning and AI can enhance network security defenses, with the added benefit of automatically learning to detect unusual patterns in web traffic indicating malicious activity.

As to the level of reliance on AI, 32 percent said they are completely reliant, while another 41 percent indicated some type of reliance, making up a total of 73 percent of the respondents totally or partially reliant on the technology for defense. On the other end of the spectrum, three percent said they don’t rely on AI at all, with the remaining 24 percent showing different levels of lesser reliance on the technology.

Cisco’s Recommendations

The most important recommendation is being prepared. This allows you to react to the attack and with the right recovery system in place, to minimize downtime and loss.

With this in mind, Cisco has taken the best insights and security practices from all those intrviewed to offer the following:

• Implement first-line-of-defense tools that can scale, like cloud security platforms.
• Review and practice security response procedures.
• Back up data regularly and test restoration procedures. Cisco says this is especially important as network-based ransomware worms and destructive cyber weapons are used to attack organizations.
• Review security systems.
• Employ network segmentation to help minimize outbreak exposures.
• Carry out security scanning of microservice, cloud service and application administration systems.

The Cisco 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report has 68 pages of extremely valuable information, including recommendations to help your small business make the best informed decision in adopting security solutions.

You can download the full report here.

Images: Cisco

This article, “73 Percent of Businesses Completely or Partially Reliant on AI for Cybersecurity” was first published on Small Business Trends

Each year, businesses spend a lot of money marketing their companies with the one goal of increasing their sales. Unfortunately, a lot of this is wasted. These marketing mistakes mean that there is little to show for these expenses and as a result, the company typically cuts their marketing budget. Eventually, their sales pipeline collapses.

Small Business Marketing Mistakes

Here are the marketing mistakes to avoid and what to do instead:

1. A Poorly Defined Target and Message

Some companies are so eager to get started using any marketing tactic (advertising, social media, trade shows, etc.) that they begin with anything and send it to anyone. To avoid this marketing mistake, everyone can’t be the company’s customer. Defining the target prospect means identifying the specific pain points and characteristics of the consumer or business that will make a purchase. This demographic profile can include age, gender, income, occupation, marital status, hobbies and interests. For business markets, a target profile can include industry, revenue, location and number of employees. This is critical because a big marketing mistake is to invest a lot of money only to attract the wrong prospect.

2. Not Testing First

Too many marketing dollars are typically spent on the initial campaign out of the sheer excitement of finally getting started. Once a decision is made to move ahead, many companies make the marketing mistake of going too big when they begin and then have no budget left to follow up with tactics that have worked. It is critical to test a targeted segment with a single tactic to see if it is successful before going on to other areas or increasing the marketing spend.

3. Not Tracking and Measuring Results

There is an old saying that “I know that half my marketing efforts are working, I am just not sure which half!”. Before online advertising, business owners expected to make a lot of marketing mistakes since it was difficult to track which ad brought in the most prospects. This has all changed in the online world where every prospect interaction with any type of adverting and promotion can be tracked. It is important to find out what works and what does not work in order to scale any marketing efforts.

4. Taking No Action as a Result of Marketing

The surprising fact is that a majority of leads generated by marketing are never followed up by sales people. This rates as one of the biggest and most expensive marketing mistakes that companies make. It makes no sense to generate leads if there is no follow-up! At the very least, there should be automated marketing campaigns within the company to further qualify the prospects and track the results.

5. No Sustainable Plan

I remember I had a customer at one of the companies I started in the 1990’s who had finally hired a marketing director for their technical software company. I called this person, Joe, on their first day and welcomed them to the industry. When I contacted him again the following week, he was gone. I asked the owner what happened. He told me they tried marketing for a week, but it didn’t work out!

Being successful in marketing has a lot to do with longevity of this effort. I believe that we actually can’t sell anything to anyone; we just need to be there when the customer is ready to buy. This means a sustainable marketing plan over a long period of time which is tested and tuned to get the desired results.

What marketing mistakes have you made and what were your solutions?

Republished by permission. Original here.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “Marketing Mistakes Smackdown! These 5 Moves Will NOT Result in a Successful Campaign” was first published on Small Business Trends