Bringing The “Cloud” to You

Virtualization is a key component to the future of technology for every business. It impacts areas from green computing to hardware being independent of the software. Cisco Systems and other companies are taking this to the next level developing what’s called “grid” or “cloud” computing. Using this type of technology companies can design applications that spread the load across multiple servers without actually having multiple servers. Great…a cost savings affects the bottom line for the big guys, but how can “Joe the Plumber” make virtualization work for him?

Think about how long it takes your “IT Guy” to reload Windows on a computer after you get a virus or some kind of malware. He has to load applications, drivers for all the hardware, setup your software, etc. Once he is done, you have to setup all your personal settings again so you are as productive as you were before. The cost of the IT Guy’s time and your own effort can be quite substantial. Now let’s fast forward a few years and watch that same scenario with a virtualized system. Your IT Guy connects remotely and tells you to save whatever you are working on. After a quick reboot and a few minutes to automatically install all your software the PC is exactly the way it was before you had problems.

This is possible because virtualization gives IT the ability to create a standardized setup for all users in a company then have specific software distributed to each system. Add to that the ability to backup just the settings and personal data we want. Seems like a bit of a dream, a half days process turned into a few minutes of productivity lost. I am sure all of us can do the math and see what kind of cost savings that can be for a small business with 5 or 50 users. That same scenario can be applied to servers and applications that your business would use.

Some of this technology is available now, with ghosting or imaging computers. However today’s options can be an expensive scenario for small businesses because of the costs for capacity, storage space, and application licensing fees. For all this to work hardware independence is a must. Currently your operating system (Microsoft Windows) is tied to the hardware you are using. Which means when you replace a major component i.e. motherboard, processor, etc… Windows should be reinstalled. Making sure the operating system and software that’s running does not care whether the computer has a new motherboard, or a faster processor is what virtualization adds to the picture. From the workstation perspective these types of solutions are just coming around, but when they do arrive they will be adopted quickly by manufacturers. It turns into a big cost for the largest companies that can justify the return in a few years of saved support costs, but for a small business the return usually can’t be justified in a reasonable time.

Servers are a whole other story as their technology becomes another commodity for your business. Gone are the days of needing to spend $10k on a server in the office just to have another added next year when you grow out of it. With virtualization you can upgrade existing servers with a few clicks. If you find out you are growing too fast you will just click a few more times to increase the capacity on whatever component is causing the slowdown.

The server technology will be here (for the little guy) and easily available before the workstation dream becomes a reality. Even over time, the cost savings involved in a few hundred dollars a month instead of several thousand dollar purchases can be substantial.
With virtualization, your data and systems become a bunch of bits to be backed up or moved where ever they need to be…on the fly.

Opportunities

One of the greatest books I read regarding business, particularly small business, took me about 2 years to read. One of our sales people attended a local seminar produced by a local networking group, staring Tom Gegax, the founder and former CEO of Tires Plus. At the seminar copies of his book “The Big Book of Small Business” were distributed for attendees. A copy appeared on my desk a few days later. I didn’t pick it up for almost a year. But, I’m glad I did.

There are a lot of gems inside its pages. It is essentially a small business manual. It is not structured in the way any other business book I have ever read is. It has so much information, advice, and guidance within its pages for situations like hiring and firing, management, finance, even real estate and business location. It is truly invaluable.

But, one of the biggest things I took away, one of the biggest things I have taken away from the experience of owning my own business is the idea of opportunity. Prior to running my own business I had all of these crazy ideas. Notice I wrote “crazy” they were just up there in my head, keeping me up sometimes while laying in bed or making social situations awkward as they crowded my mind during casusal conversations. Ideas from employees to new business ventures… everything and anything.

One of the things “The Big Book of Small Business” discuss is where to find employees. While out and about you meet people everywhere, on the street, in a McDonald’s that are all potential hires. They have the abilities and magic that might fit you or your business. Regard everything, every situation as an opportunity to find employees. But, this can be extended.

There are so many ways to get business, to create strategic partnerships or relationships, or create something entirely new, every moment of every day. You just have to be creative, understand that the opportunity is there, and go for it. I am not suggesting switching directions every day, or switching directions based on the response of these opportunity solicitations, but I am suggesting that, within your own business plan or model, there are tons of opportunities. Conventionally, fear holds people back from asking a colleague to listen to an idea, or to ask for a meeting with a local competitor about how to work together, but if you’re creative enough, and the idea is truly worth while, you will be heard, and you will probably be surprised at how this is able to grow your business.

I can’t go into too much detail, because these opportunities will arise in different forms for everyone. But, I can give you an example. I receive the local enewsletter called “Gulfshore Business Daily” it’s always chocked full of local business news - mostly PR snippets. But, occasionally there are things that I view as an opportunity. One such opportunity came through this email when a local marketer, I read, had just won a number of awards for some radio ads they had produced for a client. I contacted the company to congratulate them and from there one thing has led to another and we are now working very closely together to provide services for their clients and vice-versa. One tiny opportunity, one tiny email, now a tremendous business relationship.

So keep your eyes open.

Search Engine Optimization pt. 2 - SEO Overview

This is part 2 of a 6 part series.

Visit Part: 1

In the last article we learned about search engines, what they are and a little bit about how they work. As you now know, it is beneficial for your company or website to appear in high spots when users throughout the world do search for things that you offer. For example, your company sells paper products, if a user on the web searches for “paper ream” it would make sense for your business and website to appear. This turns conventional marketing on its head. Instead of clamoring for the attention of eyeballs in magazines, newspapers, or on TV - you allow your target audience to find you, and you appear, exactly when they are looking, when they are needing your solution! And the potential is limitless. I just heard a story about a very small internet-based business in rural Kansas that sells premium pool (the game) equipment. By strategically targeting their niche online via search engines they are able to provide services to a worldwide audience, making millions each year. This business would otherwise be impossible to sustain in their local economy and is only possible because of the vast reach of the Internet and search engine’s ability to funnel targeted traffic into your website.

No more sales! I promise. You know the Internet is powerful, you know you get traffic through search engines, so how do we position ourselves at the top? Three simple and key axioms.

3 Rules of Search Engine Optimization

• Code
• Content
• Links

In a nutshell the three important parts of search engine optimization are code, content, and links. This article is just a quick highlight of all three and in future articles I will present more information on each.

Code

How was your site built? Is it set up for success for search engine marketing/optimization by the use of modern, standards-based coding? Does your site have specific code implemented traits that ensure it will give you an edge over your competition, provide the best experience for your users and ultimately raise your chances of search engines success?

Content

Content is king! Nothing drives more on the web then content. And don’t forget it. If search engine optimization is the lifeblood of any website, content is the red blood cells. Content, especially from a search engine perspective MUST be there. If you have the first axiom (code) down properly, it’s time to move on to content. How much content do you have? How relevant is it to the general topic/theme of your site? How often is it updated. If you don’t have a plan for implementing more content, you should get moving, start planning, and start writing. If you are not willing to do this, you might as well give up now, and not waste time and money on a website.

Links

Finally, the third axiom in search engine optimization are links. Links truly drive search engine optimization, but are also the hardest and final part of the equation. How many sites throughout the web link to your website? Why do you care? Because search engines use links as a way to measure a website’s content and legitamacy. It’s like a vote of confidence. If site A links to site B search engines read it as “site A thinks site B is legitimate and valuable and so should we.” Additionally, the content of the site that links to you is also important. If you sell jewelry, a link from a manufacturer or jewelry resource website will be more meaningful than a link from a friend who has a website that deals with bread recipes.

To conclude, search engine optimization will involve Code, Content, and Links. Keeping these three axioms in mind will help prepare you for what’s to come and set you up for top rankings on search engines.