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Demystifying The Cloud – How Small Businesses Can Leverage Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is redefining how businesses run, impacting the operations of large enterprises as well as start-ups. For some, the notion of “cloud computing” is a relatively new concept.

Cloud computing provides businesses with access to the valued end result or output of equipment and software, without the ownership or maintenance costs required by purchasing it. Most often, cloud computing is delivered as software as a service (SaaS) where users can access a web based solution via a subscription without the heavy investment in the IT infrastructure to support it. Recent growth in cloud computing is partly driven by the growth in mobile technology platforms that allow users to access information anywhere, anytime.

Although large enterprises with multiple geographically dispersed offices have benefitted from cloud computing, it has been an even greater benefit to small businesses. Small businesses now have access to enterprise solutions via cloud computing that would otherwise be unaffordable for them. Even more importantly, these cloud based solutions allow small business to function more like larger business in the information they can access while simultaneously maintaining the flexibility and agility of a small business, allowing them to react and adapt to situations.

Some of the benefits cloud computing provides for small businesses, include:

No heavy investment or maintenance costs in IT- The software as a service method allows multiple users to subscribe to the solution. The vendor providing the solution- Intaact, NetSuite, etc. absorbs the maintenance costs, and by offering the solution on a subscription basis can pass along cost savings due to economies of scale attributable to user volume.

Ease of implementation- Cloud based solutions eliminate the need for small businesses to invest in infrastructure development, training, and support. Businesses subscribe to the service, and training and support are provided by the vendor on an as needed basis. The business owner can subscribe and unsubscribe to the cloud service as they wish.

Redeployment of IT- For small business with limited manpower, cloud based services free up time for IT resources to be redeployed on more strategic initiatives or reduce the need for full time IT employees.

Security- Business owners should always check this, but reputable cloud based solutions are knowledgeable about the most up-to-date security measures and encryption technology. This becomes one critical task which the business owner does not need to address, as the responsibility is absorbed by the cloud service provider who may have more expertise in this arena.

Scalability- Most cloud providers offer packages with different access levels so that small businesses only need to pay for the services they require and use, resulting in overall cost savings for the small business.

Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery- As a small business, this is a critical task which can often lack the attention it deserves simply due to manpower and bandwidth. Cloud based services assist with this, as they back-up critical data offsite as part of providing the solution, facilitating access to this data in case of an emergency.

Small to mid-sized businesses have the most to gain from leveraging cloud based solutions in their business operations.

How To Succeed At Online Product Creation The Easy Way

Product creation could be a frightening subject for a lot of Internet marketers to face. Some folks who get in the game with the intention of making a full time income are completely ignorant as to how an online business operates. One of the most profitable ways to create online cash is by creating a product that others are happy to pay for.

Product creation is legitimate method of generating money through internet marketing but many entrepreneurs get it wrong. They start by imitating their Internet marketing gurus by creating information products on Internet marketing in hopes of getting rich the way their heroes did. The problem is that they usually don’t know what they are doing and enter a highly competitive niche with very little marketing experience or connections.

Here are a few tips for effective product creation that may help you get on the right track:
Start by finding a profitable niche with low to moderate competition. If you conduct some rudimentary market research and keyword research, you’ll find many opportunities in areas that will surprise you. Amazon and eBay are two great places to brainstorm for product ideas.

Developing Your Product does not have to be a difficult project. You can find experts in the right field for your niche and pay them to write the material while an artist designs the packaging and website or blog. You can outsource the entire product creation part of the project after you conduct the research and testing to ensure profitability.

Sales and marketing strategies should be created while developing the product and learning about the market. Some experienced marketers use pay per click to drive traffic to their offer page; some folks outsource the entire marketing campaign to affiliates through ClickBank or other affiliate programs.

Product creation does not need to be hard, particularly when the merchandise is electronic. E-books, videos, audio and multi-media products sell very well. They are distributed immediately to customers electronically. Once you have a good feel for a niche market, try to service your customers with associated products and upgrades. If you want to earn money online through product creation, you must understand supply and demand. The majority of new online marketers fail miserably because they go after highly competitive markets or forget to research their chosen niche properly. You have to create your products according to the needs, wants and desires of the prospective customers.

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Stay at Home Jobs and Home Based Businesses – Dream Come True or Nightmare?

Stay at home jobs and home based businesses have never had as much appeal as they have today. Chucking the nine-to-five grind to stay at home is a dream that appeals to most of us. Really, you think, what’s not to like about not having to dress up, fight traffic, and endure bosses who lean over your shoulder every minute of the day?It’s easy to think a stay at home job or a home based business would be a dream come true, and for many people it is. Realistically, though, a stay at home job is just like any other job–you have to actually to work. And statistics show that people who have stay at home jobs and home based businesses generally work more hours per day than their counterparts who work in conventional businesses.One problem that many people who work at stay at home jobs or who have home based businesses run into is what’s often referred to as “feast or famine syndrome.” They find their workflow is either too low or too high; in other words, they either have a lot to do or nothing. This makes it hard for people to budget their time and their money, and is especially hard for people just beginning stay at home jobs or home based businesses. It takes time to develop a steady base of clients for stay at home businesses, and even then there will be many times where everyone wants your product and/or service at the same time. This can be very stressful when there’s only one person, you, to do everything. So if you’re planning on starting a stay at home job or home based business, it’s good to have a plan in place to help you deal with what can often be a roller coaster workload.The feast or famine syndrome of a stay at home job or business leads to another difficulty. When you’re feasting, you’re making money–when you not feasting, you aren’t. It’s hard. One week you’re raking in the money, and the next week you’re barely squeaking by. This is where a stay at home job or home based business can, again, be more stressful than a conventional job where you’re paid on schedule and know exactly how much you’ll be bringing in every month. To deal with this, first of all, you need to have some money in the bank before leaving your regular job for a stay at home job or to start a home based business–or to focus on that stay at home job or home based business that you’ve been working at part-time. Experts recommend that you have enough money saved to cover six months of expenses before leaving your job for any reason. This is especially important for people who want to stay at home and work or to start a home based business because it can greatly reduce the stress that comes with feast or famine syndrome and give you some much needed breathing room.Too, people who have a stay at home job or home based business often run into payment problems. You’ve done your work or provided your service and product, but you don’t get paid. Collection can be a nightmare when this happens. And what many people don’t know when they become stay at home workers or owners of home based businesses is that people who hire you may classify you as an independent contractor and pay you as far out as 90 days. To make sure you don’t run into payment issues, always get everything in writing. It’s hard to wait 90 days to get paid, but it’s even harder not to get paid at all and perhaps have to turn to a collection agency in order to get your money. Because many stay at home jobs and home based businesses are Internet-based, you need to take special precautions to know you’re dealing with reputable businesses with a good track record of payment. So do your homework and get all payment terms in writing before providing any stay at home work or home based business product or service. The headaches and stress this will save you is immeasurable–and ensures you’re more likely to believe that your stay at home job or home based business really is your dream come true.Charles Fuchs

http://www.charlesfuchs.com/

http://charlesfuchs.blogspot.com/I grant permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way.

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