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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.

Considerable Factors Involved in Product Creation & Marketing

The niche you have chosen should allow creation of more than one product or service. With the technological advancements in the hosting industry, from automated control panels and scripts that simplify creation of accounts, to complete turnkey solutions; there is no need to worry about spending time on the real products sold to the customer. The main ones are keyword selection, sales copy principles, graphics, affiliate programs, product creation, online payment processing, auto responders, and search engine optimization.

Once you’ve earned money from this type of information product business, you can invest in the creation of your own products if you want, or start offering more informational products that allow you to sell your knowledge. But the creation and production costs of a similar big ticket in sequence product, although higher, are still pretty low. A key by-product of this process will be the creation of 3-D, Computer Assisted Design art.

The Association for Financial Professionals permits the following activities for repatriating funds: Research and Development activities, advertising and marketing programs, hiring and training new recruits, acquiring patent and other rights to intangible property, improving transportation, funding capital investments with the purpose of job creation and job retention & funding product responsibility or environmental claims.

It prohibits certain activities like: Tax payments, Payment of executive recompense, Payment of dividends, Redemption of stocks, Debt investments and Portfolio investments. Therefore, before repatriating the money, you must consider whether it is worth or not.

Checklist on what artist and product development necessitate includes: Exceptional vocals, musicianship and/or songwriting skills, Continued education and enhancement of musical skills, Quality equipment, Performance ability, Image creation and maintenance, Plan of action, goal setting, excellent promotion materials including photographs, press releases and artwork, Business management skills, Marketing, Publicity and Promotion knowledge, Online and Offline Professional management, Basic knowledge of recording, producing, engineering, and mastering, Basic knowledge of manufacturing, distribution, and sales online, brick and mortar and air-play, Good choices in members, staff and advisors, Physical and mental preparedness, Basic knowledge of finances, accounting Law and legal issues etc.

The goals for doing so are for the product owner to: Communicate the whole, Determine and communicate when releases are needed, Determine what functionality is sufficient for each release & focus on business value derived from the releases. The delivery team on the other hand will see the whole, learn about the steps to realize the vision, learn the business priorities, provide technical input to the roadmap and provide estimates for the projected features. The salesperson must lead the prospect through the various decision criteria needed in order to secure a sale. Whether your idea is the development of a product, launch of a service business, or even the creation of an event or program for a non-profit, creativity is the root of all entrepreneurial efforts starting with the vision itself.

People quickly learn to spend their time on marketing and product creation, rather than repetitive tasks. Apart from empowering companies and individuals, there should be a particular focus on identifying labor intensive businesses that have the potential to make a significant and positive impact on employment creation as well as those businesses that have a product or service offering for export markets with the final objective of booming local economies.

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Part Time Home Based Business

If you are reading this article right now, there is a good chance you are looking for a part time home based business. There are several reasons why you may be looking to start a home based business and in this article I’m going to discuss the advantages of a home based business and how you can sort through the thousands of opportunities available and find the right one for you.The Advantages Of a Part Time Home Based BusinessFirst, let’s start by talking about why you are looking for a part time home based business and some of the advantages that go along with it. Statistics show that over the next 3 years, more than 79 million people will start a home based business. I know from experience that most of those people will still be working a full time job so they will most likely will not have a lot of extra time on their hands.One of the biggest advantages about a part time home based business is that it is quite possible to generate a full time income, without a full time effort. Not everyone who starts a HBB is doing it to quit their day job, or replace their income. A lot of the time they are just doing it to have some extra money to pay bills, go on vacation, drive nicer cars, etc… This is why a home business so attractive to most people. There is also another advantage for people who are looking to quit their jobs and replace their income…If you are looking to be able to quit your job, you most likely are sick of working long hours and never having any time to be with your family or to do the things you enjoy. With a part time home based business you have the ability to earn a hefty full time income, but without working the long hours and having the daily commute. This is ideal for someone who wants the financial and time freedom for themselves.How To Find The Right Part Time Home Based BusinessThis can be a little tricky. There are literately thousands upon thousand of opportunities out there so how can you possible know which ones are legit, and which ones are right for you? The biggest factor in finding the right one for you is going to come down to how much time you are actually willing to devote to your business, and how much income you are looking to make.There are many part time home based business opportunities that are low cost but require a lot of work. In this case, to actually make a nice profit will take some time. If you are just looking for some extra spending money and are in no hurry, this is the route you should go. On the other hand, if you are looking to quit your job and replace your income or need money faster, then it’s going to be worth investing in a business that provides you with an opportunity to still work part time, but make a lot more money in a shorter period of time. Basically, a business in a box.A typical home business will provide you with the basics, and you will have to do the work of building your business (marketing, generating leads, closing leads, etc…). A business in a box type of business is one that will not only provide you with a great income opportunity, but it also provide you with tools and training so you don’t have to worry about all the marketing, generating leads, and closing sales. While it is somewhat more expensive, the income opportunity is a lot greater and there is obviously less work involved.