Email marketing is cheap, instant and effective, with easily quantifiable results. No wonder so many businesses use it. But if you don’t do your mailshot properly, at best you could be missing out on a lot of sales opportunities and at worst you could be doing your business more harm than good. If you want … Read more
I’m pleased to announce the launch of my new online shop, Driveshopper.co.uk. Backing up your computer is something important that I bang on about frequently (see this post for example) and I’m always amazed at how most people just don’t bother, despite how easy and cheap it is. So I thought I’d put my money … Read more
Technology sites are reporting that Apple and Microsoft are engaged in a dispute over the 30% cut Apple takes from all sales including in-app purchases through its app store. Apple argues that the rules have to be the same for all developers, whether big or small. Microsoft argues that subscriptions to its Office365 subscription service … Read more
Google used to be my friend. In the early days, when most other search engines were trying to rebrand themselves as bloated ‘portals’ and move away from their original purpose, Google emerged like a breath of fresh air and took things back to basics.
Looking as I do frequently on the Mac App Store and iPhone/iPad App Store, I can’t help but notice how cheap software is now, compared with the old days before the App Stores existed and software was sold mainly on disc in big box packaging. Apple have led the way with their own apps. All the … Read more
Apple’s new iPad sold over 3 million units in the first 3 days. To put this into perspective, the first iPad took nearly 3 months to achieve the same figure, and even this was considered a massive success that had far exceeded all expectations. I got my hands on the new model unexpectedly in the first … Read more
Why do some domain name sellers make it so difficult to transfer a domain name away from them? There are loads of domain name registrars, and most of them offer very cheap domain names and website hosting packages too. But there may come a time when your circumstances change or you find a better deal … Read more
It used to be simple. If you wanted a plumber or an electrician or even a bookshop, you just picked up the big yellow book and turned to the index. Who could forget those successful TV ad campaigns of the 1980s. Apart from a bit of minor competition from Thomson Local, they had it all … Read more
Apple’s Vice President iPhone Product Marketing, Greg Joswiak, gave an insight into the secrets of Apple’s success this week. He was speaking at a recent event in the UK called “Silicon Valley Comes to Cambridge.” None of this will come as a huge surprise to anyone who follows Apple, but it’s interesting to hear it … Read more
Do the experts keep telling you to get a blog? Are you unsure exactly what benefit your business will gain from it? Then read on. Many business owners think they should start a blog, perhaps with a vague idea that it might help their profile, but they don’t really know how or why. Or, more … Read more
When the going gets tough, many businesses panic and start to cut back on the things that could actually keep them ahead of their competitors. It’s very easy to cut your advertising or cancel that new corporate brochure you promised yourself. Or you could let the company website stagnate for a while longer. A downturn … Read more
The vast majority of people don’t ever give a single thought to backing up their computer. Why would they? That’s something for the IT guys at work to worry about. It’s their problem to make sure the network drives are protected against loss or failure, not yours. But whose job is it to look after … Read more
Just like your website, email is one of the main faces of your business and often the first contact potential customers will experience. So you can’t afford not to do it properly. But ever since I started out in the business, people seem to have been making the same old mistakes over and over again. … Read more
When buying a computer for their business, most people don’t look beyond a Windows based PC. Microsoft’s operating system is pre-installed on every PC from low-end to top of the range, and therein lies the problem. Whatever machine you choose, the user experience is the same. You can buy the best PC in the shop … Read more
We all know running a business requires a certain amount of speculation. Dealing with enquiries that might not come to anything, quoting for jobs you might not get, and offering the benefit of your advice to prospects in the hope that they’ll become customers. It’s all part of the game. But you only need to … Read more
Web site owners spend a lot of time optimising their content for search engines and promoting their site through Facebook and Twitter. But some are then disappointed when they find they aren”t converting as many visitors to customers as they”d like.
Your logo is in many cases one of the first things people notice about your business. It speaks volumes about who you are, what your business does and what kind of an outfit you run. It is essential that you get it right. But as a small business owner, you probably aren’t in a position … Read more
Many people find themselves leaving the world of nine to five drudgery as a paid employee for the exciting life as a business owner or self employed person. It may be through choice, or it may be due to redundancy, but whatever the reason, it can be a massive culture shock for anyone who has … Read more
