Balihoo, provider of Local Marketing Automation technology and services to national brands with local marketing needs, has announced the wide availability of an Integrated Co-op Marketing solution.

Balihoo’s solution combines creative customization, local media execution and co-op funding into a single Integrated Co-op Marketing platform to give product manufacturers and their resellers a single location to manage all co-op marketing activities. Embedded in Balihoo’s Local Marketing Automation platform, this represents the industry’s first closed-loop co-op marketing solution that functions across all advertising and marketing mediums.

“This is a game-changing technology for the co-op marketing industry,” said Pete Gombert, Balihoo CEO. “The net result is a more effective, more efficient co-op marketing model that increases revenue and decreases costs across the entire value chain.”

Balihoo’s Integrated Co-op Marketing platform is being leveraged in a broad range of business verticals, from the durable home good industry to medical product manufacturing.

“With this platform our customers are able to quickly and easily develop and implement highly effective local marketing campaigns,” said Dan Hinkle, Nobel Biocare Senior Director Practice Development Solutions. “Combining Balihoo’s technology with Nobel Biocare’s consumer research enables our partners to reduce advertising costs, improve consumer awareness and increase practice production.”

According to Balihoo Vice President of Product Management Kevin Donaldson, the true breakthrough is in combining the creative, media and financial components with a layer of reporting that gives the national brand full visibility into all local marketing efforts. “Our national clients are now able to see exactly who is doing what at the local level and tie that back into return on investment reporting to understand the true value of their co-op marketing program.”

Learn more by requesting the Integrated Co-op Marketing white paper at www.balihoo.com/icm.

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Stop trying to hold your own camera to create videos for your website!

It looks unprofessional, and honestly — it isn’t exactly practical, either.

This short video from Michael Vorel of Project Gadget shows you a quick and affordable alternative. You can shoot and upload a video for your website or YouTube within minutes.

Items Featured in this Video:

• Flip camera Ultra 120
• Monopod

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The question of driving interested traffic to your website or blog is one that all webmasters share.

Watching some webmasters clean up while your site languishes on the vine is a terrible feeling — like being the last kid picked in a schoolyard game of kickball.

You may as well be the ball!

Admittedly, there is no shortage of “experts” out there who offer all manner of formulas, tips and strategies that will drive hordes of traffic your way — so let me ask you this:

Do you want tire kickers and freebie seekers, or do you want buyers?

I don’t know about you – but I choose the latter.

You see, many of those same “experts” would have you believe that the holy grail of traffic domination lies solely in identifying as many high-traffic keywords as you can.

Frankly, that’s a load of crap. If you want to attract traffic that is actually seeking out what you have to offer — folks who are not phobic about opening up their wallets and making a purchase — then you need to focus your efforts on those keywords that deliver the goods.

After all, as the saying goes — “money talks, and BS walks.”

A couple of colleagues of mine, Kathe Lucas and Denise Hall, have created a no-holds-barred 40-page report that will quickly get you up to speed and dominating the “money talks” keyword segment of your niche. Best of all, you can snap up this little gem for less than the price of a pair of fancy coffee drinks.

And as you well know, I NEVER joke when it comes to caffeine.

My only gripe about this report is the sub-title. In light of all the whoopla surrounding Michael Jackson’s passing, the books’ sub-title of “ABC…Easy as 1-2-3” did make me cringe a little.

But I am willing to overlook that, and you should, too. You can read all about this report by visiting this link.

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There are things you can do year-round to help save the environment. It is common knowledge that reducing the amount of paper used and the amount of time we spend in our cars is important, but many don’t know how easy and inexpensive these steps can be.

According to http://www.TheDailyGreen.com, Americans consume about 700 pounds of paper per person per year-everything from napkins and take-out boxes to gift wrapping and cardboard. So how can we reduce our impact on the environment? One way is through technology.

Although some people go so far as to advocate e-mailing wedding invitations or Christmas cards instead of sending paper ones, there are some more subtle ways you can help reduce your environmental impact and still save time and money. Here are a few ways technology can help:

Help your team go paperless. Many companies use expensive technology to manage the amount of paper they use but there are free options available for everyone. Free online storage sites like Microsoft Office Live Workspace can help your team go paperless. They provide an easy way to keep track of your Little League schedule or the car-pool rotation and give you the ability to update items in real time. There is no need to print out schedules, because everyone can log on to see if there are updates.

Online research saves time and money. In today’s economy, everyone is looking for a deal, and getting the most out of your money often requires research. With the prevalence of retail Web sites, you can now research online instead of driving around town to compare prices. Researching online saves you time and money and reduces the amount of time you spend in your car.

Download software instead of buying a box. Advances in technology and improved Internet speed have made it easier to download software for your computer than to drive to a store to buy the same thing in a box. This helps reduce packaging waste.

One popular software download is Microsoft Office 2007 (www.store.microsoft.com). According to research, one digital download of Microsoft Office is equivalent to saving the emissions from one gallon of gas; 10 million digital downloads are equivalent to 13,008 cars not driven for one year.

Use your computer’s power management tools. Use the power management tools in your computer’s control panel to select energy-reducing settings. If you and nine of your friends do this, it becomes the equivalent of taking one car off the road. Another way to reduce your computer’s energy consumption is to stop using screen savers and instead blank your screen. This will save energy and extend the life of your monitor.

These are just some of the ways technology can help reduce your impact on the environment. If we all do our part, together, we can make every day Earth Day.

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Change has become America’s motto for dealing with a turbulent economy, and few things are changing more rapidly than our attitudes toward commuting to the office every day.

Not long ago, workers usually had to receive special permission from management to work from home for a day or two. Now, according to a new survey, managers often support “remote working” even more strongly than employees do.

The study, from Microsoft, was designed to assess which small-to-midsized U.S. cities are leading the trend toward remote working. In the markets surveyed, San Diego led the way, followed by West Palm Beach; Buffalo; Salt Lake City; Raleigh; Oklahoma City; Nashville; Charleston, S.C.; Greensboro, N.C.; and Hartford-New Haven.

The cities were measured on several criteria:

• Number of companies with remote-working policies
• Level of managerial support reported by workers
• Level of co-worker/peer support reported by workers
• Percentage of workers believing their job can be completed from home
• Percentage of workers using remote-working programs.

Employers, it seems, are becoming fans of remote working for a number of reasons. For one, working from home frequently increases productivity. At home, workers often have fewer distractions and do not lose minutes-or hours-tied up in traffic jams on the way to work.

Moreover, the costs for a company to maintain employees in an office have been increasing-everything from air-conditioning expenses to leasing rates.

With more people working remotely and using the office only periodically, office space can be shared and expansion needs are often reduced.

Technology is also contributing to the growth in the number of remote workers. Solutions from companies such as Microsoft now allow businesses to set up remote-working operations efficiently and safely.

Systems such as Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and Microsoft Unified Communications are designed to enable workers to connect to the office from home and have access to all the same applications that they would have in the office.

Also, Windows Vista BitLocker Drive Encryption is said to thwart any attempt to hack into information on a laptop computer that is stolen or lost. BitLocker prevents a thief from removing and booting up the hard drive and locks up the system’s information if someone tampers with it.

Using technology to work from home is no longer a luxury. It’s a strategy that is helping many companies make employees happier and lower costs. For more information, visit http://www.microsoft.com/midsizebusiness/gameplan/.

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File this under “going above and beyond” — small business owners have long had to contend with striking a delicate balance between portraying a professional image, and doing so without compromising their budget.

Thanks to a new technology breakthrough, business owners can now focus on more important matters; quality CD duplication doesn’t have to break the bank.

Indiana based Beyond Concepts Inc., has implemented a major production change in their CD printing process. The new state of the art technology provides amazing color and graphics capabilities with increased durability. Small business owners will be pleasantly surprised to find out that Beyond Concepts offers clients this solution with no increase in price structure.

What types of marketing efforts can use CDs?

• Catalogs for Sales Representatives
• Wholesale materials for prospective new accounts
• Trial offers of software
• Book excerpts for authors
• Press materials
• Promotional giveaways – screensavers, desktop wallpaper, etc
• Audiobooks
• Ebooks

With over 20 years in the business, Beyond Concepts was already offering CD duplication at a low price point. While their original process offered fantastic image capability, it also had shortcomings regarding the overall durability of the CD surface. The new CD printing process provides the same amazing print quality, with none of the traditional durability issues associated with an inkjet printing process.

“…we have implemented a state of the art digital thermal transfer CD printing process. This printing system allows clients to make a CD that has outstanding image quality with complete surface durability and a glossy finish” explains Beyond Concepts Co-Founder and President Jeffrey Carlin.

For more information on how CD duplication can take your project to the next level, visit the Beyond Concepts website at http://www.bcduplication.com.

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Couldn’t resist the obvious nod to the 1992 release of R.E.M.’s album by the same name, Automatic for the People. But, given the ever-connected nature of today’s society, it just seemed appropriate.

The truth is, in order to keep up in today’s marketplace, you simply must be willing (and able) to automate certain portions of your business.

Otherwise, you are simply trading time for money. What is the point of having your own business if you are a slave to it?

I am always surprised at the reactions of clients when we express this simple truth to them. They are typically solopreneurs that are hoping to get out of the rat race. That said, they are truly wearing all the hats. And to be clear, there is nothing wrong with that. But sooner or later, if you don’t find ways to lessen the constraints on your time, you’ll quickly burn out.

Consider this — you have a limited amount of hours each day. You can’t work 24/7. Even if you work 16, or even 18-hour days…there will always be a limit on how much you can do. And guess what? That also limits your earning potential.

The good news is that there are a great many tools, software applications and products that can help you get more done in less time. One of my favorite such tools is a web-based software application called DLGuard.

DLGuard has a comprehensive arsenal of features — it serves as a shopping cart, and integrates with a whole host of payment gateways. It can automate the delivery of digital products, and does so in a matter that is secure — eliminating the theft of your products. No more illegal ebook downloads! The DLGuard can also serve as the hub of your membership websites – managing the subscriptions, downloads, renewals and expirations. If the need arises to block ISP numbers or specific customers, these features are quick and simple to implement.

One of the things that impressed me the most about this software was that it was extremely easy to install. Typically I enlist my husband, John (aka tech support) to help me with such endeavors, but I was able to fly solo with DLGuard. If you find yourself in need of support, there is a user forum that can help you get over any hurdles you encounter.

Sam Stephens, the developer of this product, is one in a million. He personally responds to inquiries, and treats every customer like a friend. He continually works to improve the program and implement new features, and welcomes the input of his customers — something that really resonated with me as a fellow small-business owner. Sam’s loyal customers and raving fans are a testament to his superior service — and something that we can all learn from and aspire to.

What kinds of things can you run through the DLGuard?

• Trial offers
• Wholesale catalog or information requests
• Teleseminar reservations
• Ebook sales
• White papers
• audio books
• seminar materials
• E-course materials (syllabus, assignments, etc)
• software trials
• software sales
• Website template sales
• PLR products
• Video tutorials, and much more

Even if you don’t need the DLGuard yourself, you may want to pass along the information to friends or colleagues in your discussion forums and mastermind groups. This is one of those rare time-saving tools that will leave you wondering how you ever lived without it.

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America has entered into the “Age of the Entrepreneur.” According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, small businesses employ roughly half of the U.S. workforce. Consider that approximately 65 percent of these small businesses are funded by the business owners themselves, and the stress involved in being your own boss becomes clear.

While there are many upsides to running a small business, owners often struggle to stay on top of their finances, paperwork and marketing while also making enough time for their families. However, many entrepreneurs have discovered how to put the Internet to work for them to automate the manual work that used to weigh them down. For small businesses, the Internet can be the key to increased sales and a simplified, streamlined business. And thanks to new online programs, anyone can get started, even if he or she doesn’t already have a Web site.

Marketing automation software, from companies such as Infusionsoft, allows entrepreneurs to run and grow their business while also saving time by centralizing, streamlining and automating the business. Infusionsoft combines the features of several small-business solutions to provide a hands-free way for small businesses to track prospective and current customers, automate marketing processes and increase sales, without adding staff.

The key to this technology is a system that regularly follows up with prospective and current customers so they don’t fall between the cracks. Establishing always-on marketing, as well as automating other business processes such as billing, can give business owners their lives back.

Why such a focus on automating follow-up? Small-business gurus agree that the main cause of business failure is follow-up failure, which causes potential and existing customers to slip away, taking their money elsewhere. Follow-up becomes increasingly important as businesses of all sizes are turning to online marketing programs to get in front of potential new business.

The Internet has a vast number of potential customers, and recent studies report that the average adult spends up to three hours a day more on the Internet than he or she spends watching TV, and about 70 percent of Americans regularly go online. Given the huge numbers of potential customers online, automated follow-up marketing software lets small businesses get the most out of marketing by automatically capturing leads and executing follow-up campaigns, so that business owners can focus on doing what they love.

To learn more, visit the Web site at www.Infusionsoft.com.

The November issue of Create the Dream!® includes a FREE copy of a new ebook from Infusionsoft’s CEO, Clate Mask, “The Edge of Success: Nine Building Blocks to Double Your Sales.” Get your copy here.

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rackAID, has joined forces with ControlScan, a leading supplier of e-commerce security scanning services, to deliver two new security services. rackAID’s Managed PCI and Scan & Fix offerings will help merchants meet requirements established by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC).

“We’ve had a growing number of inquiries regarding PCI compliance from our clients. In response, we conducted a study of major approved scanning vendors and selected ControlScan as our partner. ControlScan’s easy to use interface, reliability and pricing meld well with our existing on-demand IT
management services,” said Jeff Huckaby, president, rackAID.

rackAID clients now have two options for meeting PCI compliance. Managed PCI is a pro-active PCI management solution. rackAID will coordinate periodic security scans with ControlScan and automatically correct detected issues. As a subscriber to the Managed PCI program, rackAID clients simply have to secure their web applications and complete the self-assessment questionnaire. Managed PCI is available as an add-on solution to rackAID’s popular server management services.

rackAID’s Scan & Fix service is targeted to merchants who just require one-time or periodic assistance with their audits. After signing up with ControlScan, clients can request rackAID’s assistance only when needed. rackAID will then fix the security issues as a case-based support service.

With these new services, rackAID clients can produce PCI compliance reports and obtain certification seals through the ControlScan security portal.

Research shows that web sites displaying certification seals typically see a significant increase in online sales and a decrease in shopping cart abandonment. For more information about rackAID visit www.rackaid.com.

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GlobalSign Inc (www.globalsign.com), has launched a “secure everything / multi-domain” option for its SSL Certificate range — by using SANs (Subject Alternative Names), it allows a single Certificate to secure dozens of domain names, subdomains, IP addresses or intranet hostnames. The new Certificate option provides increased flexibility, easier Certificate management and lower costs for customers. To launch the new product, GlobalSign includes the ability to secure critical functions for Unified Communications on Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft Communications Server 2007 completely free of charge.

GlobalSign’s new SSL product allows customers to build a single SSL Certificate that secures multiple sites, applications or functions operating on the same IP address. These could include:

• Server administrators also benefit from a reduction in the time usually associated with the SSL application, installation and renewal processes, leaving them with more time to focus on the organization’s other critical security matters.
• Domain names (such as www.abc.com, www.abc.co.uk , xyz.com)
• Multi-Level Subdomains (such as subdomain.abc.com or multi-level sub1.sub2.abc.com)
• IP Addresses (both internal and public)
• Localhost Names (such as local — typically used in intranets)

Included also is the ability to secure the communications functions of Exchange 2007 and Communications Server 2007 (Unified Communications, or UC) that hinge around the use of a single IP address. As a new GlobalSign multi-domain SSL Certificate requires only one IP address, it can protect all
confidential communications over HTTPS, SMTP, POP/IMAP and other protocols offered through UC.

Other key features include promotional 3 for 1 server licensing, free inclusion of Server Gated Cryptography (SGC — to step up weak 40 bit browser to server connections to strong 128 bit), and universal recognition by all popular browsers, applications and mobile devices. GlobalSign also recently introduced AutoCSR, a time saving function that creates a customer’s CSR on their behalf during the application process allowing anyone of any technical ability to obtain SSL easily.

The new SSL option is available immediately on all GlobalSign SSL Certificates — including DomainSSL, OrganizationSSL and Extended SSL (EV SSL).

It is available to all retail and channel partners, and available through the Enterprise Certificate Center for SSL Managed Server customers. Visit the GlobalSign SSL Certificate Center for more information: http://www.globalsign.com/ssl/index.htm.

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