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Real Time Status for Your Business with GeckoBoard
Feb 6th
Ever felt like you’d like the 911 status on your business, in one view, one place? All the vitals so you can see, at a glance, what’s going on in the different areas of your company? If you have wanted to combine your web analytics, CRM, project management, sales pipeline, customer support requests, to name just a few, then this review of GeckoBoard is for you.
The first thing to understand about GeckoBoard is that it aggregates the stuff, the information, you need or want to see in one dashboard view. That dashboard might be on your iPhone or laptop or it might be an HD television hanging in your office lobby or manufacturing floor. Each device or monitor counts as one connection and, depending on your account, you are allowed a certain number of simultaneous connections.
For small business owners who are already managing too much information, GeckoBoard provides a way to streamline and simplify the information flow across your desk.
After you sign up for a free trial, I’ll admit it can be a little intimidating to figure out. However, it doesn’t take long to get it working. They are creating a new category of web-based application — a tool that pulls all of your disparate software and applications into one view. The company calls it a “real time status board.” I can live with that. The app comes with some basic parts installed so you can view samples. By clicking “Add Widget” you quickly see how many apps are already easy to connect to, such as:
- Highrise for CRM
- Gmail and Mailchimp for email
- FourSquare for location updates
- Basecamp or Github for project management
- Salesforce, Twitter, Freshbooks, Google Analytics, to name a few more and the then you have tools to create custom widgets linking into datasets that are just your own. The custom widget button helps you build from scratch.
Frankly, it is a bit mind-boggling. And that’s my only real wish for the GeckoBoard platform — that they do a bit more work on explaining what it all means for you as a small business owner. For some, it is a big “aha” and quite intuitive; for others, it’s a rabbit hole of “what does this do, really?”
Here is a sample dashboard I created in less than five minutes; after I got up the courage to hook into different data sets of my own. I set up a search on Twitter for “makers” and “inventors”; then hooked into my Gmail account (I had just emptied my inbox to look organized). I also hooked into one of my websites Google Analytics account and it was all point and click and authorize. Here’s a quick screenshot below. I left the three default sample widgets that are right on top.
If you find yourself jumping from application to application to keep up with your inbox, your tasks, your social media, you could use GeckoBoard to put it all on one screen. More so, if you have information that you want to share on a big screen with your team or your customers as they come into your company offices, you could use it that way, too. It is fairly easy to use and offers a lot of potential for those trying to see a lot in one glance. Plans start at $9/month and scale up based on connections. No credit card to sign up for a free 30-day trial (which is what I used to test it out).
Learn more about GeckoBoard.
Real Time Status for Your Business with GeckoBoard
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Ewen Chia – Real Affiliate Marketing
Jan 16th
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Walking away from “real”
Jan 6th
As in, “that’s not a real football team, they don’t play in Division 1″ or “That stock isn’t traded on a real exchange” or “Your degree isn’t from a real school.”
Real contains all sorts of normative assumptions and implicit criticisms for those that don’t qualify. Real is just one way to reject the weird.
My problem with the search for the badge of real is that it trades your goals and your happiness for someone else’s.
View full post on Seth’s Blog
Are Electronic Holiday Cards a Replacement for Real Cards?
Dec 17th
This time of year, you want to send holiday greetings to all your clients and business contacts, but it’s time-consuming to handwrite notes, stuff them in envelopes, address them and mail them. Not to mention the fact that it’s a waste of natural resources.
But are electronic cards (“ecards”) yet to the point of replacing the snail mail version of the holiday card? Are they as good? Let’s see what folks are saying on Twitter.
Does an Ecard Really Show You Care?
When I asked my Twitter followers, “Ecards are eco friendly. But do they have the same message as a physical card?” @KyEkinci said no. Many feel that sending ecards is disingenuous and lazy. Putting in the extra effort to mail a card via the postal service shows you’re really thinking about the recipient. And to Ky’s point, an ecard is just one more thing clogging up your inbox.
Customization: Can It Make Ecards More Personal?
Ecards have gotten much more customizable in the last few years. Look at Elf Yourself as a great example. Or Weschler Ross, which custom designs holiday ecards for clients, such as this one for U.S. Trust (autoplay music alert!). These days, you can add your staff’s images or your company logo to tie it in to your business branding. Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) says that the customizability of ecards is a selling point, and that you can use them in addition to paper cards.
Have We Gone Completely Digital?
We’re becoming a digital society. We have “friends” online we’ve never met. Some of us never speak to our clients on the phone or in person, but instead opt for email and social media interactions. That being said, are we really accustomed to digital cards in place of more traditional ones? @RobbinsInt thinks so. Like anything, it’s a slow progression toward ecards becoming more mainstream.
Ecards as Marketing
Many companies are finding ways to get others to send cards with their branding on them (see Office Max’s Elf Yourself example again). @Scope, a U.K.-based charity that supports people with disabilities, has a collection of ecards that are free to send. Each time an ecard is sent, Scope’s network of awareness grows.
Lego, too, is getting in on the action of ecard marketing. Its current campaign says the company will donate one toy to Toys for Tots for every free ecard sent. So far, more than 380,000 toys have been donated.
Conclusion, at Least in Canada
What do you prefer? An ecard that doesn’t cost money or trees to send, or a traditional paper card that shows the sender cares? @DATopTalent seems to think that paper cards are here to stay. At least for now.
Are Electronic Holiday Cards a Replacement for Real Cards?
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
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Dec 9th
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Nov 29th
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Nov 28th
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Nov 19th
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Nov 16th
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Real or Fake Christmas Trees: What’s the Greener Choice?
Nov 16th
Few things kindle the holiday spirit in a store or business like a decorated tree. But if you’re an eco-minded business owner, you might wonder: What’s the greener option – real or fake? The answer is not very clear-cut.
On one hand, fake trees are typically produced in factories in Asia and usually contain oil-derived, pollution-causing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic. Plus, fake trees may contain unsafe levels of lead, and will ultimately end up in landfills, since they’re not biodegradable. Retailers and distributors use lots of fuel transporting them thousands of miles over the ocean and then on trucks to the stores where they’re bought.
On the other hand, once you factor in all the water, pesticides and energy used to grow, chop down and transport real trees from tree farms, they aren’t exactly so eco-friendly either. Plus, you have to get a real tree every year, so all of that energy and water use multiplies over the years. (Real trees, do, however, absorb carbon dioxide and can be recycled into wood chips.)
There’s plenty of debate over which is the greener choice: The National Christmas Tree Association, a trade group for tree growers, argues – naturally — that real trees are better because they are all natural. The American Christmas Tree Association – a trade group of artificial tree makers – argues just the opposite. They contend that fake trees, when used for many years, have an overall lower carbon footprint.
What it generally comes down to is this: Where does your tree come from, and how is it grown or made? How many years will you be using the fake tree? If you will use a fake tree for more than a decade, it may be the greener solution since you won’t have to replace it year after year. If you already own a fake tree, you might as well keep using it – the environmental toll has already been taken.
Of course, there are other considerations to the tree decision beyond the environmental. Real trees become a fire hazard if they dry out, so you may not be able to keep a real tree up as long as a fake tree. Real trees will generally be more expensive and time-consuming to set up, take care of and discard than fake ones that you can easily store in the closet or basement.
If you do decide a fake tree is the better option, buy one secondhand. (There are lots for sale on Craigslist.) As this DailyGreen article notes, there are also U.S.-made holiday trees that use recycled PVC and therefore aren’t so environmentally detrimental.
If you opt for a real tree, look for local tree farms that use sustainable or organic growing practices, such as “no spray” (meaning no pesticides). LocalHarvest.org lets you search for ones in your area by city or ZIP code.
Real or Fake Christmas Trees: What’s the Greener Choice?
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
