I made a pretty bold statement on stage the other day at the ActionCOACH B2B Interchange event about the costs associated with Calgary small business websites and how much your Calgary business should pay MAX for a small business website.  In my talk I did say that no Calgary small business should pay more that $1500.00 for the entire web presence and this is for real. Technology and the services available to small business have driven down the costs associated with producing high quality small business websites and the ease of which a small business can go online makes it very easy to have a website or other web services provided with no real hurdles. Here is my caveat to my statement above.  Yes, expect to pay more than $1500.00 if you need special features such as eCommerce, backend databases, photo galleries etc.  Actually, if you really want a rock solid eCommerce solid, the team at Dimensional Business Solutions can give this to you at a low fixed monthly cost.  But, for most Calgary small business I would go with the $1500 price tag as a great number to budget on. What should you expect to get for $1500.00:

• A Professionally designed, search engine ready and optimized business website
• A Professionally designed business blog ready for the search engines as well
• A Professionally designed Facebook Page to promote your Calgary small business on Facebook
• Social Media services all setup and talking to each other
• A high-optimized LinkedIn company page
• Support, I would expect to see 90 days of email and phone support on how you can use your new small business website

The past couple of years have hit the Calgary retail sector, small business and other markets hard.  However, many are still expecting to charge or pay pre-2008 prices for services.  Our team's focus at Ulistic is to help Calgary small business do more without having to fork over a bunch of your hard-earned cash.  Interested in learning more...call us 403.604.9464.

Apple has launched the new operating system iOS 4.2 which finally brings iPad, the iPhone, and iPod touch under the same roof. This mobile OS has been one of the most awaited releases from Apple in the recent years.  Your team at Working World would like to highlight some of the features that i

One of the tools our team at Working World uses a few times each month is Mail Merge.  When used properly, Mail Merge can save a tonne of time and effort for many Brantford business professionals.  We would like to share some of our tips and tricks with you and hopefully we save you and your teams

Finding time to blog is a challenge for many small business owners in Calgary and even use in the Calgary social media community struggle to find time to share information for blogs.

Today, I managed to carve out a few moments to blog from the hallway of the BMO Centre between Ulistic’s presentations on social media at the Career Show.  The Career Show runs Oct 29 and 30.  Ulistic’s is speaking on the effective use of social media and how Calgarians looking for work and employers who are looking for the best employees can use social media to the perfect job or the ideal candidate.  Social Media has the potential to be very powerful for both sides of the coin, but social media is not the main topic for this blog post today.

The Importance of Public Speaking

Ulistic participates in a number of events around Calgary and across North America each week.  This week alone Ulistic has presented or take part in forums at the Toronto Board of Trade, The Business Link across Alberta and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.  We love to be part of our vibrant and energetic business community and share each day our tips and tricks on leadership, technology and online marketing.

But, not every Calgary business owner likes to be in front of the room.

I was sharing with my bookkeeper the other day about what is more important.  How many people you know or how many people know you?  You tell me, what matters more?

I think it is the number of people who know you.  Ulistic has met a number of Calgary professionals who simply do not like to talk in public.  Public speaking is the easiest way for us to facilitate the “being known” mindset.  We rarely say no to a speaking gig anywhere in the world.

Being very honest with all of you, public speaking is a must have business skill in today’s world.  Public speaking allows you to serve and in the eyes of those in the room you can become the expert.  Public speaking opens doors, facilitates the KNOW and LIKE from the know, like and trust model.

Being invited to speak may get you coverage with the media. Ulistic did this week with our  Herald article on “The Pitfalls of Social Media“.  It was simply because we were invited to speak and the media rang us to interview the team on what we can share with the Calgary public.

How can you get involved as a speaker? Contact those who run your industry events.  Get known in your local community and get involved in discussions.  Find out who at the Chamber of Commerce organizes speakers.  Other words, get out and do your homework. The secret is to simply ask for speaking slots and volunteer to speak at events around town.  There are many opportunities out there, you just need to get out and been visible.

Need help…give Ulistic a call at 403.604.9464, maybe we can help.

Companies large and small across Canada are wondering the same thing. I just got back from Toronto where I sat with executives from IBM discussing social media’s role in the IBM world.  Social Media is just a small business concern any longer.

Recruitment is on the mind of many

This week alone I had two meetings with big players in Calgary’s energy industry about how they can use social media to attract the best talent available.  What role can social media networks play in recruiting Canada’s top-notch talent and how can we attract seasoned professionals to our businesses using social media?

This week in Calgary – The Career Show and Ulistic is presenting on Friday

The Calgary Career Show being hosted at Calgary’s BMO Centre this Friday and Saturday may just have the answers. The Ulistic team will give a presentation on Friday, October 29^th, sharing ideas and concepts on how those looking for a new career can use social networking and social media to build impactful business networks. How they can differentiate themselves from others in the workforce and become more attractive in the eyes of employers.

Not to let the secret out of the bag, you will still need to come to the Career Show this week to learn all the details. However here are a few things you can do now to take those first critical steps on mastering online resources in your career search and positioning yourself better

1. Leverage LinkedIn – LinkedIn is a very powerful tool for anyone in business when used properly.  LinkedIn has many of the traits that you find in most of the popular social media services used by businesses today.  However the biggest difference is how LinkedIn caters to recruitment, networking and sales performance.   Things to do right away include getting involved in the online groups, using LinkedIn’s powerful search tool to build your network and making yourself attractive and ensuring your profile is completed updated.
2. Who is in your network? This is a difficult task.  After all, your network is important to you but you need to sit back and check it often.  Who are you letting into your network and what value can you bring to them and what can they do for you?  Make sure you have high quality people in your business network that you can help you succeed.
3. What role does Facebook have? Are you using Facebook to keep in touch with your school friends and others in your life? Do these connections bring value to your career? If the answer is no, then we recommend that you keep your Facebook account private. Review your Facebook profile often and make sure your friends are posting items of quality and those past misadventures do not come back to haunt you.
4. Make yourself visible. When you search Google for your name what do you see?  Nothing! If you are not Google friendly chances are you maybe over looked for the next position that becomes available. If you say you are a professional than prove it. Make sure when people search for you they can find you, in other words, create an online presence for yourself..

These are just a few starter thoughts that will help you in your career search and how social media and your social networks can play a role in your search for the perfect career.

These tools and services are part of our communication fabric now and you must understand the basics of how they work. Just like email and telephone are essential communication strategies so are LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs and Google.

Come and see Ulistic speak at the Career Show this Friday at the BMO Centre in Calgary, details at http://www.thecareershow.ca.

The Real Estate market is constantly changing, making it difficult to always assess the current value. As a trained Calgary Real Estate professional, I have the right knowledge and tools to determine your home’s value. What is your property worth in today’s market in your area? Let me help!

By utilizing a “Right Price Analysis”, we will be able to assess what your property is valued at today.

During the FREE Home Evaluation, your Calgary Real Estate professional can advise on:

• Tax issues
• How bank appraisals work
• Current Financing Options
• About building inspections
• How to sell your home for maximum dollar
• Financing questions – Should you refinance or get a new mortgage
• Tips and tricks that will help you save thousands buying a home
• Low cost repairs that could instantly increase the value of your home
• Additional fees to keep in mind when selling

To receive more information about my listing services, call Gord or email today.

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Four times a year over 200 of the world’s leading IT support organizations make a pilgrimage of sorts to their Heartland Tech Group Peer meeting. Locations vary from group to group (in August Ottawa played host to our HTG group meeting) however the objective remains the same. We gather there to improve the way we deliver our Ottawa computer support services to our clients.

We are measured against our peers and the best in the class every four months. We are measured on the overall health of our organizations. It is not a competition but the goal is to ensure we are here to take care of our clients’ and that our financial, sales, marketing and service delivery systems are running their smoothest.

We set our goals and objectives that allow us a mechanism to improve our business. We serve our IT community by being there for our peers, sharing knowledge and networking on what other computer network firms are doing globally. We take lessons learned from one organization and apply them to our own to improve our services.

The reason we devote time and money here is for our own self-improvement as an organization to serve our Ottawa business clients better. Harris Computer Services is committed to serving the market with only the best Ottawa IT support services and HTG provide us with a perfect mechanism to achieve this goal.

Founded in 2001 in a corn field in Western Iowa, HTG has grown to 250 global members across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. There is no shortage of great ideas and business solutions at HTG which allows us to bring home great ideas and offer them to our clients.

We are off to Orlando next week for HTG and promise to come home with a number of great ideas to help your Ottawa business get more from your Information Technology investments and the services that you entrusted HCS to deliver.

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In a recent poll with a number of computer support firms from across Canada and United States it was found that BlackBerry still rules supreme when it comes to mobile technology.  These recent findings were also echoed in the New York business community when members of your Manhattan computer support team discussed mobility with our clients.

BlackBerry, iPhone or Android – What is best for Manhattan and New York area business?

There is no shortage of high-end mobile phone platforms for today’s business owner to choose from. Google Android gets two thumbs up from the technical crowd. The Apple iPhone has a cult following and great for people wanting a fun phone but BlackBerry remains the preferred choice for the business professional.

According to a number of IT Professionals, BlackBerry smartphones when combined with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server offer robust and secure communication solution which is a must in today’s competitive business environment.

What can today’s business expect from their investment in BlackBerry?

• Tight Integration with unparalleled security. BlackBerry offers secured integration with business email and communication services such as Microsoft Exchange Server and your corporate security policies. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server provides over the air synchronization enforces security settings making sure your business information is secure from those who are not entitled to see it.
• BlackBerry works across many of the leading cell networks and offer many devices to meet the needs of many of their users. Devices range from simple yet effective to leading touch screen smartphones. None of its competitors offer customers with the choices as robust as Research In Motion. Whether you are in the city or out-of-town, many professionals turn to BlackBerry to communicate over the phone, email or BlackBerry Messenger.
• BlackBerry simply works and it is hard to beat the reliability. It is not loaded with too many unnecessary applications and serves as perfect communication solution for your busy company. Many IT Professionals and business owners choose BlackBerry because they are reliable, robust and work when they need them the most. Simply put, BlackBerry just works!

Brian Goeke, President of Manhattan IT support firm My IT Today states “If you are a business that just relies on e-mail and phone, this is the device for you”.

If your business relies on mobile solutions, BlackBerry is solution the correct smartphone solution for your business. Contact your New York BlackBerry support team at My IT Today today when you have questions about BlackBerry smartphones or need BlackBerry Enterprise Server technical support.

During the most recent CompTIA Breakaway event that was held just down I-10 in San Antonio, a number of Microsoft evangelists and employees were roaming the halls with their new Windows Phone 7 smart devices. There was a buzz in the air about the latest attempt for Microsoft to a super saturated mobile space.

Many Microsoft employees are calling Windows Phone 7 a re-launch after a number of failed attempts for the Redmond software giant into the mobile technology market. Even Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said that Windows Phone 7 is a rebirth for Microsoft in this market. Ballmer also claims that the Windows Phone 7 is a “different type of phone”.

The Microsoft Windows Phone 7 scheduled to hit the market with many of the leading carriers across the US. Windows Phone 7 will be available on nine different phone models across 30 countries.

However, can Windows Phone 7 benefit local business here in the Houston Area?

Unlike others in the smart phone market the Microsoft Phone 7 promises an improved user experience. Gone are the small icons now users will have large tiles that Microsoft hopes will give a better overall user experience focused on ease of use.
Something missing is copy/paste. After discussions with their development teams, Microsoft has promised this simple function will be available sometime in 2011.

Windows Phone 7 is cloud and social media ready. Track updates from your contact and use the Microsoft OneNote application and have all notes synchronized with Office Live. Other familiar offers spell check and other familiar functions found in many of the Microsoft desktop applications.

Our team at Penncomp is very excited about the opportunities for Houston business with Windows Phone 7.  Stay tuned, many of us are attending a Microsoft event this week and will have more information on the next generation mobile device from Microsoft.

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