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Using LinkedIn To Market Your Business
Alex Schregardus Of VisitorM Talks Apps And Start-Ups
Are You Paying Too Much In Credit Card Processing Fees?

Posted: 04 Sep 2012 01:08 AM PDT

How many articles about social media are there? 1 million? 2?

Do you really think we need another one?

Well, I think that we do, and this here's the reason why. The invention of social media sites gave us, the small business owners, near infinite possibilities for marketing ourselves and our companies. And still, I don't think we are using these sites to their fullest.

Take LinkedIn. Not the most popular or widely used site, that's true. But it has something that Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr don't. It's whole purpose is to connect professionals with professionals. It's not about what you did over the weekend or what books you're reading or what your cat looks like in a hoodie. It's about finding work and finding workers.

So in the spirit of efficiency here are 5 ways that I think you can use LinkedIn to market your business, in as few words as I can write them because, hey, you have a business to run.

# 1. Start Close To Home

While many of you may have a LinkedIn account already, I'm sure that a lot of you don't. The best way to start your LinkedIn life is to, obviously, get an account, and then reach out to the people that you already know. Use LinkedIn's search function to find people that you have done business with already and even those that you hope to do business with in the future. I agree, the world of social media is far reaching. What better place to start than close to home?

# 2. Start Young

Did you know that the majority of LinkedIn users are recent graduates which means it's a great place for more established companies to find new blood. The high percentage of students and new graduates also means that LinkedIn is populated with hungry young people, people looking to prove themselves. Sounds good, doesn't it?

# 3. Start Following Groups

The main reason that LinkedIn is better than Facebook or Twitter, at least for business owners and professionals, is that it lets it's users form groups.

Yes, Facebook has groups too, but then Facebook isn't strictly used by professionals, is it. The difference is that LinkedIn's groups promote discussion among like minded professionals while, and lets be honest, Facebook groups are more for the high school reunion type, aren't they.

Being active within group discussions not only promotes your company but also shows the people within that group that you are knowledgeable about the topic you're discussing. Can you think of a better way to promote yourself?

# 4. Start First

Don't see a group that relates to your directly? Then start one.

There's no reason to be shy, not on a social network. There is a good chance that if you can't find a group that suits you, there are others looking for that same niche that don't have the stones to start it. Be the trailblazer, you have nothing to lose.

# 5. Alternate Routes

LinkedIn has a "general questions" section where users can post any question about anything. Take the time to browse the general questions. You never know who you may end up helping with your answer.

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Alex Schregardus Of VisitorM Talks Apps And Start-Ups

Posted: 03 Sep 2012 07:14 AM PDT

I've known Alex Schregardus for three years and have followed the progress of his app, visitorM, with interest. I've been wanting to interview Alex about the progress he went through developing his business, using LEAP and the support from Enterprise Ireland, plus the idea behind the app. Finally I pinned him down to answer my questions.

What is your business background and how did you make the decision to become self-employed and an entrepreneur?

I've been self-employed since 2005, working as an independent IT contractor. This originally came about after an offer to join a UK startup while living in The Netherlands. In 2008 the global recession hit the contracting market hard and, as is the way, my contract wasn't renewed. With few contracts available at that time I decided to apply my skills to a venture of my own.

I had no business background when I decided to start my own company. I was just a techie with a great idea. Turning a great idea into a great business was, and remains, quite challenging. There was a lot to learn; there's still a lot to know and learn as the business grows. It doesn't seem to get any easier but at the same time it keeps things interesting.

You're Dutch and having worked there what differences do you see in business between Holland and Ireland?

I don't think there is a great deal of difference persé. Dutch businesses seem more naturally disposed to selling into mainland Europe, whereas the default position in Ireland is to look to the UK and US first. I'm of course grossly generalising a complex scenario but I do believe that a Dutch business would be more comfortable selling into Ireland than vice versa.

I think this is largely a cultural and geographic thing. Language-wise Ireland has a huge advantage being able to do commerce natively with some large English speaking economies. Dutch is not a huge language in world context, so I think naturally they'd have to look outward.

What start-up help did you receive? What do you think are the advantages for starting a business in Ireland?

We have received financial support from Enterprise Ireland and I've been extremely lucky to have assembled an advisory team with deep knowledge of business strategy and information technology. A major advantage for Irish start-ups is support from organisations like Enterprise Ireland. I can't think of an agency with that level of support and network in The Netherlands.

You took part in the LEAP programme in Limerick. What is LEAP and what did you gain from this?

LEAP is an enterprise acceleration programme by the Limerick Institute of Technology in partnership with Enterprise Ireland. It is a year long programme to help start-up companies through business management training, free office space and mentoring support. LEAP helped me navigate through early stage business plans. This had a direct impact on how we developed a product to cater to a target market born out of market research.

Tell me about the company you set up.

Xyndi Ltd was set up to support IT contracting and work started on our first mobile service, visitorM, in 2009 when we developed a technology platform to enable self-publishing of mobile applications. VisitorM enables hospitality businesses to manage visitor information content and customise the look and feel of their app online while we take care of the technical bits like App store approvals, mobile development and support for new devices.

It is a complete turnkey solution for mobile app publishing and management. The client provides the content and customizations using our online app manager. You can even manage multiple apps and track geographic usage online in real time. Our online app manager simultaneously updates content on multiple devices like iPhones, iPads and Android while we deliver full service software maintenance with new versions, bug fixes and software updates backed by great customer service. VisitorM really lowers the cost of your mobile presence.

Screenshot of visitorM Online App Manager

How did you come upon the idea for visitorM and what research needed to be carried out?

We started with the concept to simplify mobile apps for small businesses. That was a grand statement but hard to target any specific markets with. So we looked at what type of businesses could benefit from this solution and how they were catered for. While there are many services out there to build your own website and even mobile app, we looked at which markets did not have well established solutions specifically aimed at them. The hospitality sector stood out and we developed visitorM to make it easy to deliver local visitor information through mobile apps.

What market sector would benefit from using visitorM?

VisitorM is aimed at the hospitality sector but there are other vertical markets on our roadmap that we'll build solutions for based on our shared technology platform. VisitorM delivers maximum value for small businesses like B&B's, Holiday Rentals and generally businesses which cater to visitors coming into their region or locality. Tourist towns can benefit hugely from visitorM, being able to highlight local attractions, businesses and events all in one app for visitors to use simply.

It can be flexible, for example, LIT use our app to provide students with local information, courses, college contacts and what is going on around the campus – all in one app on their Smart Phone. We see visitorM helping to add value to these businesses as they can reduce printing costs on brochures and flyers, while delivering a cutting edge alternative that is really useful to their clients.

What would you like to see happen for visitorM in the next year?

Continue to grow our customer base and innovate with features that help our clients engage with their customers using visitorM. We're working on some exciting new features to generate lots of value for our customers while at the same time making the mobile apps more useful for end users. We're really committed to the idea of our mobile apps driving user engagement with our clients using visitorM for their mobile presence. I can't share too much of our roadmap just yet but general areas we're working on are improved support for other platforms outside iPhone as well as mobile commerce capabilities to help drive new revenue for our customers.

I'm so pleased I've finally been able to interview Alex about his app and share this with you as I think it's a great concept. I use it for my neighbours cottages which I help publicise online - Claddagh Cottages is free to download on iTunes - just a little plug there but does help you see the app in use too. Using it myself I know how simple and quick it is to use to update information, plus it's so handy for visitors to the cottages. Do you use apps regularly and ever wondered about the idea behind them?

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Are You Paying Too Much In Credit Card Processing Fees?

Posted: 03 Sep 2012 05:35 AM PDT

Small businesses need to maximize their profits at every turn. Even a seemingly simple decision – such as which credit card processing service to use – can have a significant impact on your bottom line. If you're going to stay in business, you have to understand where your money is going.

So, how do you know if you're paying too much in credit card processing fees? More importantly, what can you do about it?

Here are some warning signs that you might be paying more than you should in credit card processing fees:

• You're losing money on smaller transactions. This is a common complaint for businesses whose average transaction is relatively small. For example, a restaurant might price a cup of coffee at $1. While most customers order more than a cup of coffee, those that do wind up costing the business as much as $.50 in credit card processing fees. Add in overhead and you're actually losing money. If your business model relies on large numbers of relatively small transactions, you need a credit card processor that fits that model.

• You find you're always paying the highest listed rate for your credit card transactions. The fact of the matter is that credit card processors design their programs with a variety of types of businesses in mind. The idea is that you can pick and choose the processor that makes the most sense for your business. However, if you're not careful, you'll wind up with a processor that's charging higher percentages on your transactions. For example, your processor may charge more if you have fewer than 100 transactions a month, and you may average between 70 and 80 transactions.

• Your chargeback percentages are extremely high. You can't avoid chargebacks altogether. However, if you're experiencing a significant number – anything over about 2% should be considered significant – you may have a problem with your credit card processing company.

If you're facing any of these situations, there's something you can do about it. You can maximize your profits by picking the right credit card processor for your needs. Here's how you can go about doing just that:

# 1. Create a transaction profile for your business

You need to start by knowing what your credit card transactions look like. Do you have a large number of small transactions? Is your average dollar value under $20? Under $5? Do you process more than 50 transactions a month? More than 500? More than 5,000? Depending on your transaction profile, some processors may be right for you while others may not.

# 2. Research the company's customer service record

This is paramount. Some companies – and we're not talking about some fly-by-night low-end processor here, we're talking about major companies – have a reputation for account freezes, high chargebacks, and poor customer service in general. All of these things cost you time and money. Make sure you know what kinds of experiences other businesses have had with your credit card processor before you make the leap.

# 3. Compare like offers from a variety of providers

The credit card processing arena has many vendors who would like your business. Take the time to shop around. Discuss your transaction profile with each vendor, and see which ones can offer you the best deal given your business' situation.

Profitability is not only key to the success of your small business, it's one of the keys to its existence at all. Be smart about credit card processing fees; don't pay more than you have to. If you are paying too much, follow the steps above to find a credit card processor that actually fits your business model.

Any questions? Ask me in the comments below!

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Image: " Close-up of new credit card / Shutterstock.com"

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marți, 4 septembrie 2012