Social Media for Small Business – Powered by Dell's Notes
Erik mentioned in his post the other week, we’ll be sharing details on the 10 finalists of the Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award over the next few weeks. I think you’ll enjoy learning about some of the interesting and innovative things these companies are creating with technology. The next finalist we’d like to introduce to you is Vitals, from Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
Vitals
The business of this company couldn’t be more topical. Vitals is an online doctor evaluation and comparison service that helps consumers find the right doctor for them. They have over 720,000 physicians nationwide represented in their database. If you think about it, it’s been easier in the past to find and compare things like cars or investments than it has been to search for doctors. And when choosing a doctor, don’t you want as much information as possible?
Vitals was founded less than two years ago when the three founders, Larry, Mitch and Erica, saw this opportunity and set out to build a very innovative and customer friendly physician referral database and Web site they possibly could. They tapped over 15,000 different information sources when creating this resource. Consumers can come to the site and search for a doctor based on an extensive array of criteria, starting with where the doctor’s office is located and what insurance he or she accepts and ranging to what procedures are offered, what languages are spoken in the office, what school the doctor attended and various quality scores available.
The company went a step further and built the site to also include customer reviews of doctors – users can submit both a numerical rating and/or a written review. Customer reviews include the waiting period before you are seen and the friendliness of the staff. The combination of reliable information about the doctor and customer driven reviews makes this site and company compelling. Vitals created the Yelp of the medical world. There are only two companies that even come close to what Vitals offers – and one of those charges for the same information Vitals makes available for free, the other has far less detail available and doesn’t allow user reviews.
The Vitals database has literally billions of data points and yet is flexible and streamlined enough to make it easy for consumers to use. This has allowed the company to establish a number of key partnerships with major insurers and health care providers.
There was clearly a need for this resource. Healthcare is the single largest search category on Google with over 72 million unique visitors per month. The Vitals team realized that success depended on being smart about search engine optimization to drive traffic. And the effort has started to pay off as they have over 100,000 daily users – a number that is growing exponentially.
Here’s a fact I really loved, they really have built that level of traffic through providing a great product and leveraging search engine technology. In 16 months, they have spent only $1,100 on marketing expenses. That’s pretty smart and with such an innovative business ideas and a clear focus on the customer, Vitals is one of the Dell Small Business Excellence Award finalists.
Congratulations to Larry, Mitch, Erica and the entire team at Vitals on being a finalist and good luck in September!
Stay tuned for our next finalist profile coming early next week.
Also, check out my video chat with Ayman El Tarabishy and last year’s SBEA winner, Steve Mattie below.
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Back in June, Dell was part of an announcement from Xsigo Systems on how Pixorial leveraged Dell PowerEdge servers and Xsigo virtual I/O in support of their ground-breaking online video service. As both a Dell customer and innovative business, Pixorial is an ideal customer to illustrate how innovative technology and a partnership with Dell helps grow their business.
Today, Pixorial announced the launch of its collaborative video platform with features and capabilities that promise to change the way consumers share their video memories. The new video service lifts the barriers set by alternative video services and makes it possible to share editable video in its original resolution and length. The site makes it easy to share a video link through Facebook, embedded code, email links and a variety of unique DVD and gift ideas.
Listen to Pixorial’s president and founder Andres Espiñeira talk about how the company was founded and has grown in the past few years.
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Over the past couple months we've introduced several new products to the Vostro line of products that offer the right features, services, durability, and resources to serve the distinctive needs of small business. From the ultraportable Vostro 1220 to the Vostro All In One (the first all in one exclusively for small business), these systems are preconfigured with tools like free videoconferencing and are designed to be "easy to buy, easy to own."
Dell listens to small businesses to ensure no stone is left unturned when it comes to meeting our customers' needs. That's why I'm pleased to announce the latest additions to the Vostro portfolio - the Vostro 1014, 1015 and 1088.
These new 14.1 and 15.6 inch systems redefine the entry level for the Vostro line and are primed and ready for your everyday computing needs with set configurations that help you meet the daily challenges of running a small business.
Key features include:
- Notebook processor and chipset: the latest Intel Core 2 Processors to get the most out of your software
- Improved battery life: work for longer with great battery life with power efficient design and WLED LCDs
- Media flexibility: A built-in 5-in-1 media reader to easily transfer pictures, video, data to and from your laptop
- Optional integrated webcam: connect with customers and colleagues across the globe through voice and video for free when you choose the 2.0 megapixel camera
- Color options: Express your personal style and stand out in the crowd with choice of color backs - black, blue or deep cherry red
- Improved energy efficiency: Cut down your power consumption with Energy Star 5.0 certification
Dell also provides an integrated modem with each system to give you the flexibility to connect to the internet, even when there is no broadband available. And of course, the computers come equipped with the Dell gold standard of services you've come to rely on. Specially-trained SMB technical support is available in three ways (phone, online chat or DellConnect) to help solve problems as fast as possible. And, with Dell Backup Recovery Manager Dell can quickly get you back to business as usual.
For those wanting to get their hands on the machines, the products will be available direct and through select Dell partners. Some of these laptops are already offered in parts of Europe (starting at £255) and will be available in Asia Pacific and Japan starting today. Over the next several months, these laptops will be available to customers in Latin America, United States and Canada.
Check out the set on our Flickr page to see all the images of the Vostro 1014 and 1015 laptops.
Last month Dell announced the Vostro All in One to help entrepreneurs "Reclaim Their Desks." As part of the announcement, we kicked off a contest for readers to share photos of their messy desk and enter in for a chance to win a new Vostro All in One to help organize their desk space.
You still have one week to submit your photo on Flickr with the tag "reclaimyourdesk" for a chance to win. For all the contest details, read the official rules here.
We had a great opportunity to listen to the needs of our SMB customers recently when we organised a roundtable discussion in London with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), three of our customers (including two UK Finalists from the Dell Small Business Excellence Award 2009) and four journalists who cover the SMB market. The topic was around how technology can help SMBs survive and thrive in a recession. As you can imagine in this current environment, there was lots of lively debate.
On technology itself, the discussion ranged from continually training employees and keeping up-to-date with technology, to the benefits of virtualisation and cloud computing. One of our customers, Warren Vick, founder and executive director of Europa Technologies, a digital mapping company, said that cloud computing allowed them to scale very quickly. A map that could have taken two weeks to render now takes hours because their servers are used to their full capacity – none stand idle.
There was also an interesting discussion around the right time to invest. Martin Port, managing director of Masternaut Three X, a vehicle tracking company, talked about how he’d ‘bitten the bullet’ and invested in Microsoft Dynamics (Great Plains) CRM software, and was already seeing great returns. Warren said he was investing now to get ahead – rather than wait for green shoots. All agreed that investments would only be made where there was immediate ROI - and not for the sake of using the latest and greatest gadgets. At Dell, we’re certainly seen more customers take up our 0% leasing offer so they can continue to make strategic investments in their companies.
The overall consensus was that IT suppliers need to focus more on solutions that solve problems than standalone pieces of hardware or software – which was great validation for the approach we are taking at Dell.
We ended the roundtable talking about Green IT – was it a PR exercise or a driver for efficiency – and the one piece of advice we’d each give to SMBs in the current climate. Here’s what we came away with
- Know your business and concentrate on it
- Invest in your company
- Find a good technology partner (not just a vendor)
- Consider how technology can expand yourself and your business
Great advice from an inspiring group of people. Below is video from the roundtable about the challenges SMBs face today. If you're interested in hearing more from the event, check out the additional videos on the playlist on YouTube.
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Last week, I participated in the judging panel for the annual Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award, where we reviewed all of our U.S. award finalists. The experience reminded me why I love working with the small and medium business sector so much – these entrepreneurs have some amazing stories. And learning about such a wide variety of industries is fascinating. Especially when they are demonstrating just how much technology can revolutionize how they run their businesses.
For background, the Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award, recognizes entrepreneurs who are using technology in innovative ways to better meet customer needs and grow their businesses. We’ll be announcing the U.S. national winner this fall and the global winner in mid-November. In the meantime, I’d like to introduce you to the 10 U.S. finalists in a series of posts starting today.
American Wire Rope and Sling
American Wire Rope and Sling sells hook lifting equipment, wire rope, chain, synthetic lifting slings, safety equipment and overhead hoists. Not only does the company have a large amount of equipment to keep track of, they are under stringent OSHA and customer requirements to conduct safety inspections and track equipment repairs. Often their equipment is being rented by customers and keeping their customers safe is their primary concern. The company has been in business for 35 years, has fewer than 50 employees and is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The company stands out in an industry that is still using paper and pen to conduct inspections and inventory. A few years ago, American began using bar coding and RFID for more efficient inventory control and inspections. Each of their products has a default location in their shop and is bar coded. They use handheld PDAs to scan items and upload the information via wireless access points so that inventory can be verified, and RFID to track repairs and inspections on slings and hoists.
The results have been tremendous. Previously inventory took four entire days and two nights with the entire staff working overtime. Now, it can be completed in two 8 hour days greatly reducing overtime expense and staff exhaustion. Even better, they can keep production running while doing inventory so they are meeting their customers’ needs.
The RFID inspection system provides their customers reports within 10 minutes - and that used to take two to three days. That’s an enormous industry advantage over their competitors. It helps protect records by making them available electronically and guards against errors in transposition. What’s more, it eliminated the need to duplicate work that is done in the field.
American now uses email messages to pass information internally and is able to coordinate orders and inventory with customers electronically saving time and money, and allowing them to provide a better customer experience. They are at the forefront of tech trend that has fundamentally changed how they operate. RFID allows them greater customer insights, and more efficient delivery of goods and services.
This is a great example of a small business that really stands out in their industry because of their use of IT. Congratulations to Jarod Ray and the entire team at American Wire Rope and Sling for being named one of this year’s finalists.
Strategies to make the most of the summer slowdown
When most people hear the word “summer,” thoughts turn away from work to days at the pool or beach, summer sports with kids, and ice cold drinks. We normally think of summer as a time when work generally slows down (unless you’re in the sunscreen or swimsuit business). However, spending marketing dollars during a slowdown has actually been shown to increase sales once spending picks up- according to one study, businesses that increased advertising budgets during the ‘81-‘82 recession saw sales increase an average of 2 ½ times more than businesses who kept ad spending flat. Here’s how to get a head start on online marketing efforts this summer:
Stay Current.
An online marketing strategy like SEO or SEM only works well if your site is equipped to deal with the increased traffic. Hire a web developer or web programmer to make sure your site is easy to navigate, well organized and has the capacity to handle more visitors. If you don’t have an ecommerce section, now is a good time to accept credit cards on your site and build a shopping cart. Companies providing merchant services could also have special rates given the economy and season.
Try New Ideas.
If you’ve been putting off launching a social media strategy, such as starting a blog or using Twitter, now is the time. During the summer, you’ll have the time to implement a strategy, hire interns to do the leg work and track different programs making adjustments along the way.
Take advantage of summer talent.
A good online marketing campaign requires a certain level of maintenance, or day-to-day monitoring. Hiring a summer intern is a great way to get skilled help for very little cost- sometimes even for free. Check with your local community colleges, universities, and graduate schools to see if they offer school credit to students who work for local businesses.
Assess Results.
The summer is also a great time to assess your yearly progress and make adjustments to your online marketing plan. Consider the recent strategy of the Cleveland Indians, who tracked game attendance statistics according to factors like school vacations, weather, and special promotions. Unsurprisingly, games were more heavily attended when children were out of school, and less crowded when rain was forecast. But they also found out that certain promotions were overwhelmingly more popular than others- the appearance of one specific former player increased ticket sales by 6,600.
In the summer, you have at least half a year’s worth of sales information to track. Figuring out which strategies work will allow you to plan better for the rest of the year.
The Federal minimum wage rose from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour on Friday, bringing with it controversy about whether the increase is good or bad for the economy.
The raise, which affects about 4 million workers nationally, is the third and final increase mandated by Congress in 2007. For a full-time minimum wage earner, the bump up means $28 a week more. But for small-business owners struggling to make a profit, the mandated increase may present problems.
The U. S. Department of Labor says the change will mean a favorable raise for minimum wage workers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act in 30 states where state minimums were lower than the federal rate. In New York alone, the minimum wage rose 10 cents an hour with the federal increase. The state’s previous minimum was only $7.15.
Generally, the federal law covers workers at companies with sales of at least $500,000 a year and those that engage in interstate commerce, which includes accepting national credit cards, so most all workers will be covered by the federal increase.
A study by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago estimated that the minimum wage increases in July 2007 and July 2008 generated $4.9 billion in consumer spending, and that this year’s increase would boost another $5.5 billion into the economy.
Small Business owners and a few economists say the required increase is coming at the worst possible time, and that this is due to Congress not foreseeing the current recession when they implemented the three-step program three years ago.
In a report released by the Families and Work Institute said the recession caused revenues to fall for two-thirds of employers, and 90 percent of those with lower revenues have had to cut their labor costs by reducing workforce.
Those against the minimum wage hike say that higher rate will cause employers to raise the quality bar for employees, therefore shutting out the least-skilled workers, the very ones the law was originally designed to help.
In actuality, only a small percentage of U. S. workers earn minimum wage because market forces have pushed average wages higher. Indeed, it’s difficult in many cities to find minimum wage earners, even among food service workers.
In addition, the National Small Business Association reported this week that the number of small businesses hiring new employees in the past 12 months dropped from 18 percent in December to 9 percent in July, and about two-thirds reported decreases in sales and profits.
How does the new Federal Minimum Wage Rates affect your Small Business? And how do you see that affecting your business in the future?
Last month, you heard about the Vostro 1220, an ultra-portable laptop helping entrepreneurs work wherever and however their businesses require to keep going and growing. Now, with today’s introduction of the Vostro All-In-One we’re helping small businesses worldwide break through the clutter and reclaim their desks with a stylish, compact and affordable desktop computer.
Update from Lionel: If you want to see more images of the Vostro All-in-One, go to this set on our Flickr page.
While I could go on and on about the speeds and feeds of this machine (which does feature full processing power), the real magic of the All-In-One comes in its clutter-free design. In fact, our own survey demonstrates that cluttered spaces go well beyond simple eye sores -- they hamper productivity. But don’t take our word for it… to prove the power of design in improving business productivity we gave two customers a sneak-peek at the Vostro All-In-One.
BusinesSuites:
BusinesSuites, a U.S. provider of virtual office services and executive suites, is known for its plug and play approach to commercial office space. With 16 locations nationwide, the company helps convert the burden of traditional long-term leases into a subscription-based model ideal for many small businesses. In a business where the receptionist serves many CEOs, we thought the All-In-One would be perfect for keeping the receptionist area professional, neat and clean. So, what did they have to say when they put to the Vostro All-In-One to the test?
“In our business, first impressions are everything. We are very particular, and must have a professional reception area to show clients we have everything under control to meet all their clerical needs. If the front desk is cluttered, it can appear as if we are disorganized or overwhelmed which sends the wrong message,” Heather Walton, a BusinesSuites center manager told us. “The Vostro All-In-One helps us meet these very high standards. We already have a printer and the phone system under the desk, so cutting down on cords and keeping the desktop off the floor makes a big difference for us. And with just one cord to plug in, we can easily move the system around.
“Set up was easy and quick, and the performance is much better than the older desktop the receptionist normally uses,” Heather added.
Provencal Home:
Provencal Home is a family-owned and operated furniture store based in Austin, Texas, since 1994. With 9,000 square feet of showroom space, they offer design and delivery services to clients nationwide based on a philosophy of finding the most unique products for customers’ homes and offices made by artisans who know and love the craft of furniture making.
“I have weekly sales meetings all around the store based on the material we are covering. With the easy set up of the Vostro All-In-One, I can move the system around and set it up on a coffee table, bar table or work table in just minutes. Plus the screen size and resolution allow all my employees to easily see the material and actively engage in the conversation,” said David Davis, general manager of Provencal Home, a family owned furniture and accessories store.
“I’m also able to use the All-In-One for product demonstrations, so customers can see how things like our mattresses are manufactured. The phenomenal resolution also allows customers to see the finish details, fabrics or true color of a table or sofa they are about to special order – this is key for us. Quality, good- looking technology is key for anything we use on the floor, and the All-In-One definitely fits our criteria.”
Reclaim Your Desk Contest
In conjunction with the release of the Vostro All-In-One, Dell is challenging entrepreneurs out there to demonstrate why you need to “Reclaim Your Desk.” At www.dell.com/reclaimyourde
*Update 7-17-09: To ensure your photo can be spotted, you must have at least five photos uploaded in your Flickr account. Also, make sure your safety setting, account and photo are visible in public searches by double-checking your privacy settings. A column to the right of your photo, titled ‘Additional Information’ indicates the settings currently in place for your photo. Still having issues seeing your photo in public search? Click here for more tips.
And, in case you missed the specs, you can see the full press release here. Starting at $629, the Vostro All In One is available today in China and Japan, July 27 in South Asia, Australia and New Zealand and India Aug. 3. Customers in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa will be able to order the product starting Aug. 11 and Aug. 23 respectively..
How does a leading web video company power their platform? For Open Box Technologies, it’s Dell servers and storage. Through their relationship with Dell, Open Box is able to focus squarely on serving customers, without having to worry about the reliability and serviceability of its IT infrastructure.
Open Box was founded by Cameron Brain in 2005 to help businesses and organizations of all types and sizes store, manage, and publish video content to the web and mobile devices. In the beginning, the company was uncertain who would be the ideal customer for their SesameVault platform, businesses or pro-consumers. Open Box soon discovered the best opportunity was to focus on businesses due to the growing trend of using video to train employees, provide distance learning to students, connect with remote workforce, educate customers and integrate with social media communications.
Without any real marketing campaigns, in the first 18 months, business was driven primarily by WOM. After securing funding from angel investors in upstate New York, Open Box launched the Web-based SaaS platform SesameVault.
One of Open Box’s customers, film director David Lynch, uses SesameVault to power the recently launched web-only documentary series, Interview Project. Filmed in 1080p HD, Interview Project is a 121-part online documentary series featuring 3-5 minute portraits of Americans from all across the country.
To read founder Cameron Brain’s thoughts on the announcement, check out his blog post.
