Why Your Business Needs To Get Involved in Social Marketing

Getting your customers to speak about product / services through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Squido, Myspace, LinkedIn etc. can be one of the most successful guerrila marketing initiatives in today’s online world. When visitors see positive things said about your company and/or your product it also helps improve the credibility of your company. This credibility element will be manifested when more and more of your customers speak about your product quality through the social network platform.What is the big deal about being endorsed in the public domain by members of social marketing sites? Well think about it for a second – usually business controls what is said about them by way of push advertising. By building a positive social marketing persona your business is apt to receive more positive publicity because the remarks are viewed more as ‘honest’ feedback about your products and services.Here is some of the ways that you can be found through Social Networking.. Facebook & Other Social Networking Sites After creating your profile in Facebook and other social networking sites (like Linked In) you can join several of the networks organized by city, workplace, school and region. These networks help users connect with members of the same group and connect with friends and share your interests, hobbies, links, exchange messages etc.Community members share their opinion on a certain product they have used and this offers a great business marketing opportunity. Through these networking sites you have other people sell your products indirectly by making favorable comments about your product. After all, people will trust the opinion of one man they know more than the opinion of 20 other people they are not familiar with. With millions of people as members, these social networking sites are virtual communities and offer a platform where people can promote their business.Social networking sites like these are the place where you can create a buzz. Advertising Copy Losing Credibility What is your service or product? What is the message you want to get across? Too often clients have creative sites that don’t really say much about their business. There should be a balance between creativity and getting your message across. What makes you different? What is your value proposition? Your message combined with strong color psychology will convey to the user your company’s strengths and invoke the right emotion. Only you know exactly what your company stands for — creating the same message should be the core function when building your own website. Social Networks Driving Purchase Decisions More and more people rely on the opinions and favorable product reviews done by others in the selection of goods and services. Social networking sites are a very key contributor to cementing the opionions of a given product or service.With social networking sites reporting a surge in the number of followers each day these will soon become the focal point of any product marketing initiative by business owners. Business that is wondering about the way of tomorrow — hope you are reading!

Canadian Government launches ad campaign promoting tax relief for businesses pruchasing new computer equipment

Canadian Government launches ad campaign promoting tax relief for businesses pruchasing new computer equipment

Ottawa, Ontario, October 20, 2010… The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of National Revenue, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, is pleased to announce the launch of the Government of Canada's advertising campaign promoting the 100% capital cost allowance rate for computers.

Minister Ashfield reminds Canadian business owners that they have until January 31, 2011, to acquire new eligible computer hardware, including systems software, in order to claim 100% of the capital cost allowance.
"We know it is important for Canadian businesses to remain competitive in today's changing world," said Minister Ashfield. "That's why our Government brought in measures like this one, and many others in Canada's Economic Action Plan. These temporary measures will help Canadian businesses through this challenging economic time, and make sure they have the tools they need for the future."

Announced in Canada's Economic Action Plan, this temporary tax relief measure allows Canadian businesses to claim a 100% capital cost allowance deduction for eligible computer hardware, including systems software, acquired after January 27, 2009, and before midnight, January 31, 2011.

Minister Ashfield is urging Canadian businesses to take advantage of all of the available tax relief measures the Canada Revenue Agency administers.

For more information on tax cuts for businesses, go to www.cra.gc.ca/taxcuts.

Before You Buy a Computer: Should You Get a Consumer or Business Class PC?

An important consideration when buying a computer for work purposes is whether you should purchase a consumer model or a computer specifically designed for business. Many computer manufacturers offer what appear to be the same computer make and model in both their home and business divisions, but they are actually not the same computer. Here's what you need to know about the differences between consumer and business grade PCs, and which kind you should get for your home or mobile office.

Percent of Business vs. Personal Use

First determine how often you will be using the computer for business use. If you telecommute infrequently (e.g., only during rare severe weather), then a consumer class PC should be just fine -- provided the computer has the appropriate applications and resources for your job, of course. Likewise, if you'll be using it 90% for personal entertainment and only 10% for work, a consumer computer may be more fitting.

Computers sold to consumers usually cost less than business PCs, and since they're sold everywhere, including Best Buy and Walmart, you can pick up a consumer computer very quickly and easily.

Durability and Reliability

For more dedicated or serious work use, invest in a business class computer, which offers more value in the long run than the consumer counterpart. Business computers are built to last, with higher quality components that are tested more rigorously. Parts used for consumer computers may be more generic or even cheap, while computers designed for professional use more often include higher grade materials and name-brand parts. This emphasis on durability means that a business class laptop or desktop you buy now should last you several years.

Business-Appropriate Features

Business grade computers offer more features for professional work, such as fingerprint readers, remote desktop control software, and encryption tools. The professional operating system version that comes on business PCs is also more suited for workers than the home version; Windows 7 Professional, for example, has features -- which Windows 7 Starter and Home editions do not have -- for easily joining a corporate network and using Windows XP software. If you're not convinced yet, consider this: business PCs typically don't include the crapware and "limited time trials" that bog down so many consumer PCs.

Service and Warranty

Finally, business computer systems come with better support options and may be more easily supported by your IT department as well. The default warranty on business computers is usually double or longer than those on consumer models. Business users also tend to get priority support, via a dedicated support line, and you can opt for on-site tech support available within hours rather than having to send in your computer for repair, which could take weeks.

Closing Thoughts

Business class computers are designed to reflect and support companies' critical reliability and performance needs. If you're buying a laptop or desktop PC to make money (i.e., for work), invest in one designed for business users and the investment should pay off in terms of better reliability, easier troubleshooting, and more professional features. If you find a consumer model that you're interested in, check if the manufacturer offers a similar model in its business division.