Advantage: Google’s Patent Search Tool

Last week we discussed the Patent Reform bill that just passed so I thought I’d talk about Google’s Patent Search tool today. Why should you be interested? Google allows you to easily find just about any kind of information you might want within the (approximately) 8 million patents and 3 million patent applications on file at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We’re talking anything from inventors to patent numbers to specific technologies;

Marketing Today: Going Mobile

The CTIA Wireless Association recently reported over 250 million Americans (80% of our population) carry mobile phones today and the worldwide market is growing fast. The IDC (Independent Data Corporation) reports smartphone vendors anticipate shipping out more than 450 million smartphones in 2011. That’s in comparison to 303.4 million shipped last year.

Are you ignoring this tremendous market?

Cloud Computing: What’s In It For Me?

There are more than 1.5 Billion people connected to the Internet today. That’s one quarter of the world’s population. And over the next 5 years it’s estimated that another 1 Billion people will be connected.

All this could easily choke traditional infrastructures. That’s why cloud computing is the technology poised to take the lead with a simpler, more secure and efficient way of doing things.

The Cloud is actually a metaphor to describe the Internet. It means using the Internet for your computing needs. For instance, Google Docs is a cloud computing application, as is SalesForce and AWS (Amazon Web Services.)

To make is even easier to understand; think utilities. It’s similar to the power company that supplies electricity to your home and office. Flip on a switch to turn on a lamp, there’s power. You pay for that power while you use it. The service is scalable. The same holds true with cloud computing.

The Big Idea – Your Brand

A brand is the “big idea” behind your business. It sums up your customers’ expectations. In fact, a brand isn’t really what you say it is, it’s what your customers say it is. No matter what you decide when it comes to your brand, keep in mind, it’s actually a reflection of your business reputation.

“It’s never too late to be what you could have been” – George Eliot

I know that most small business owners don’t believe branding their business is all that important, especially not in the beginning. But in fact, branding often doesn’t enter the equation at any point.

Do you need to create a brand?

There’s great competition in every type of business. You need to set your business apart. You need recognition and awareness. One way to do that is to build a brand. People identify with brands. They become loyal to brands. A brand triggers recall and arouses emotions. Your brand stands for something in your customers mind.