SMB

IBM continues to emphasize software as part of its future road map. In laying out a plan to use its Lotus franchise to expand the number of small- and medium-sized businesses using its applications, Big Blue is taking aim at a key part of rival Microsoft's core market. At its annual Lotusphere trade...

Putting its money where its mouth is -- and where its corporate parent's future may lie as well -- Google's charitable arm, Google.org, on Thursday announced $25 million worth of new grants across what it now says are the five core areas that it will focus on going forward. Google.org will concentra...

The growth of e-commerce and the continuing expansion of outsourcing and the remote workforce are fueling a new approach to paying for services. Internet-focused companies are replacing traditional online payment transactions with prepaid debit cards. Payoneer is a startup firm that is pushing this ...

Of the Web's many attractions, the potential to tap into a global marketplace, has perhaps been first and foremost for businesses. If you are a manufacturer, distributor or merchant, designing and launching a Web site is but one piece of putting together and solving the e-commerce puzzle, however. B...

Considering the speed at which technology evolves, predicting even a year in advance can be a dicey proposition. Still, given key tech sector developments during 2007 and the outlook for 2008, some trends are unmistakable. It's a safe bet that social networking and Web 2.0 overall will remain a clos...

A Silicon Valley startup with an unlikely name announced Monday a new platform designed to enable telephony in a wide variety of applications. Using an open platform to facilitate connections between telephony and the Web, Ribbit is working with a community of more than 600 developers to help voice-...

For a small business that serves a local area -- a restaurant or gardening service, for example -- word of mouth can quickly make or break a reputation. When the conversation happens online in organized and professionally managed forums like Citysearch and YellowPages.com, reputations can be made an...

Consumers are enamored with HD entertainment devices. What consumers abhor, however, is the quagmire of cabling that tethers their HDTVs, high-def DVD players, gaming consoles and surround sound systems together. Hudson, Mass.-based Radiospire Networks is banking on consumers clamoring to its breakt...

You probably realize that startups experience an inordinate amount of failures. Of course, starting any new business is fraught with risks. However, these risks can be minimized with the proper planning. Based upon my experience in owning and advising businesses, I have come up with seven tips for t...

The world of commercial radio is getting ever more homogenized, as media giants are running thousands of stations in hundreds of markets with remarkably similar formats and playlists. On the other hand, specialized radio services have begun offering increasingly particular formats and programming op...

In the summer of 1999, I was researching potential software partners for a Web hosting company. I originally thought it would take only a few days to identify the leading vendors in areas ranging from ERP to CRM and e-commerce, but after weeks of research I had barely scratched the surface. While it...

As the world becomes "flatter" and globalization drives new opportunities for international commerce, how do small and medium-size businesses jump on the bandwagon? The Internet allows any business to gather orders and process them across borders very easily at low cost. For SMBs in the U.S., curren...

Cisco on Thursday unveiled a long-term plan meant to significantly expand its presence in China, saying it would spend as much as $16 billion -- nearly double the $8.5 billion it has spent in the past five years -- to build out the footprint it started there nearly 14 years ago. Cisco laid out a thr...

In many cases, the entrepreneur who had the courage to start a new business was on the right track by choosing a startup that could be both viable and profitable. Yet, the company failed. Why is that? Because of lack of working capital: the main cause of startup failures. This kind of failure can be...

There's a wealth of opportunities available for aspiring and small to medium-sized business e-tailers looking for shopping cart technology. While this makes it easier than ever to find this important piece of the e-tailing puzzle, it also means startup and SMB e-tailers face greater challenges when ...