Saturday, October 30, 2010

On the menu today

165 Asian Americans in key posts in Maryland public boards and commissions

This is from an article in The Hindu ( a great Indian National newspaper headquartered in the South of India) titled Maryland fostering India links through trade, immigration'. Nice mention of Kumar Barve whom I have met online many times but only once offline at a parade.

I love living in Maryland and it has a very hospitable population

Amplify’d from www.thehindu.com

Mr. O'Malley said that similar to the country's founding fathers he subscribed to the concept of e pluribus unum, or “out of many, one.” Given Maryland's record for predominantly voting in Democrats, it would appear the people of this state agree.

Regarding the Indian-American community, the Governor pointed out that the Democratic Majority Leader in the Maryland Legislature was Indian-American Kumar Barve, and that his administration had overseen the appointment of over 165 Asian Americans to various key posts in Maryland public boards and commissions. These included Indian-Americans appointed to head the portfolios of human services and economic development, Mr. O'Malley said.

Although Maryland, unlike many other U.S. states, has weathered the convulsions of the recession with fewer job losses, job creation nevertheless is at the very apex of Mr. O'Malley's agenda and he recognises that it has both a domestic and an international dimension.

Read more at www.thehindu.com
 

Thursday, October 28, 2010

SmallBiz Technology Summit 2011 New York with Ramon Ray

One of the most passionate events this year was the Small Biz Technology Summit in New York organized by the one and only Ramon Ray with Marian Banks. I have never missed an event since 2007.  its a day full of great sessions and takeaways on all aspects of Small Business.

Ramon Ray is coming down to DC for the GrowSmartBiz Conference on Nov 5th so here is an opportunity to hear him and several other small business experts and speakers.

Next March 2011 you should consider attending the Small Business Summit. Here is a video of my 10 minute presentation on Social Media at the Small Biz tech Summit 2010.




Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mobile Users Prefer Browsers over Apps @emarketer

I have often looked at mobile optimized site and chosen to see the full version of the website instead. Most of the time it is because it is easier to share the full version to your social channels. This article in the @emarketer is interesting on how users reacted. I hope you are subscribed to the Emarketer newsletter http://goo.gl/zI3I

Amplify’d from www.emarketer.com

For a variety of functions, users would rather browse






FBLI

Share


Although about a third of US mobile phone subscribers used a downloaded application in August, according to comScore, and app downloads have shown impressive growth, many mobile device users appear to think browsers offer the better user experience.



Mobile users polled by Keynote Systems for Adobe reported a preference for mobile browsers to access virtually all mobile content. Games, music and social media were the only categories in which users would rather use a downloaded app than browse the mobile web.

Read more at www.emarketer.com
 

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

GrowSmartBiz conference Nov 5th Washington DC : Special Promotion

I am excited as in a few days a lot of business owners and experts will assemble at the GrowSmartBiz conference in Washington DC. Details at http://www2.bizjournals.com/washington/events/2010/growsmartbiz/ .



If you use the promo code NVHX8466 and register at http://www2.bizjournals.com/washington/event/27781 you will get a special $10 off.



See agenda here : http://growsmartbusiness.com/growsmartbiz-conference-agenda/



and details about the speakers : http://growsmartbusiness.com/growsmartbiz-conference-speakers/



Please help spread the word bu sharing this post on your Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.



If you a e interested in being a volunteer or want to live stream the event please let me know. Hope to see you there



Shashib@gmail.com

Amplify’d from www2.bizjournals.com
The Washington Business Journal and Network Solutions
are proud to host the 2nd annual GrowSmartBiz Conference and Trade Show.
arious industries
throughout the region. Leaders in small business will
share their knowledge and experience on today's most relevant topics,
and more 50 exhibition booths will be available to visit throughout the
day.

Four Tracks of Business Smarts
Play
MBA for a Day with these four courses of study:

Track 1: Marketing & Innovation

  • Social
    Media-New Marketing
  • Stories, Content & Search
    Engines
  • Reinvigorating Small Business
    Innovation
  • Personality & Your
    Business
Track 2: Small Business, Government and Nonprofits
  • Securing Financing
    for Small Business Leaders
  • How Small Business Can Benefit from
    Government Stimulus Resources
  • How to Market Your Nonprofit on a
    Budget
  • How to Tell Your Small Business Story
Track 3: Technology
as a Tool for Your Business
  • How to Attract and Keep Customers
  • Collaboration and
    Communication
  • Mobility and How to Profitably Sell
    Online
  • Six Rules for Tech Success
Track 4: Entrepreneur
Bootcamp
  • Starting a Business 101
  • Financing Strategies
    for Small Business
  • Smart Hiring Practices/Leading and
    Motivating Employees
  • Ten Rules for Business Cards
  • Public Speaking 2.0
Read more at www2.bizjournals.com
 

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Fareed Zakaria's American Dream @time

I was reading this article and the words " Growing up in India in the 1970's" felt very close. I remember the 70's in India - The soap "Dallas" transfixed the imagination. Magnum PI, Knightrider were the Tv serials I remember.



Since I had a career in the hotel industry I met a lot of Americans. Even one who said that Indian professionals in the Us should come back and help their country. I guess in some way his wish is being fulfilled.



This is a nice article by Fareed Zakaria and a must read. if only everyone agreed on what he is suggesting and we could get back to regular programming and enjoying our lives

Amplify’d from www.time.com
The American dream for me, growing up in India in the 1970s, looked something like the opening credits of Dallas. The blockbuster TV series began with a kaleidoscope of big, brassy, sexy images — tracts of open land, shiny skyscrapers, fancy cars, cowboy businessmen and the very dreamy Victoria Principal. We watched bootlegged copies of the show, passed around on old Betamax cassettes. America (certainly the CBS soap-opera version of America) seemed dazzling and larger than life, especially set against the stagnant backdrop of India in the 1970s. Everyone I knew was fascinated by the U.S., whether they admitted it or not. Politicians who denounced the country by day would go home in the evenings and plot to send their kids to college in "the States."Read more at www.time.com
 

Tech Cocktail Chicago Fall Mixer October 28th

I attended this in 2008 and would be there except for a personal conflict. if you are in Chicago you should go

Amplify’d from techcocktail.com

When: Thursday, October 28th, 2010 – 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. CT

Where: John Barleycorn Wrigleyville, 3524 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60657

What: A “cocktail of TECH people”

Price: $10 (online early bird), $15 (standard), $20 (at the door)

(You must be 21+ to attend)

Get ready Chicago! We coming at you with a full day of Tech Cocktail activities on October 28th. At 8:30am we’ll kick off our Tech Cocktail Startup Mixology conference (space is limited, get your tickets now), which will be focused on showcasing every aspect of starting and running a business. After the conference, we’ll host our traditional Tech Cocktail startup mixer event, bringing the energy and enthusiasm  of our Chicago tech community and of course, the startups, together again. Below are the important details or just: register now!

Read more at techcocktail.com
 

Friday, October 22, 2010

Small Biz Tech Tour is stopping in the Boston area this MONDAY October 25, 2010

WHAT: The Small Biz Tech Tour is stopping in the Boston area this MONDAY October 25, 2010 at the Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (NERD) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The tour was launched in Mountain View, California and traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah in early October. At this all day event, industry experts will share their insight, lead discussions and show small business owners and entrepreneurs  how technology can save time and money, boost productivity, increase revenue and better serve customers. 

Topics include Six Rules for Strategically Using Technology to GROW Your Business;  Your Mobile Business: How to Manage Your Business and Boost Customer Service through Mobile Technology; Get Connected, Stay Connected: The Cloud for Small Business;  Free Publicity for Your Business though Media Coverage, Online Collaboration and Communication: How to LISTEN Inside Your Company;  Why Email Marketing, Blogs and Web Sites are NOT Dead; New Media. Old Rules; Why the Rules of Old School Marketing Still Apply; Technology Watch: Top New Technology Solution Trends and How They Can Help Your Small Business

Speakers include Ramon Ray, Smallbiztechnology.com, Walt Rivenbark, AT&T; Kim Tubbs-Herron, Microsoft,  Raju Vegesna, Zoho, Caren Cioffi, BrightCove Raju Vegesna, Zoho; Shahab Kaviani HyperOffice,Roger George, IBM Lotus Software, Allen Falcon, Horizon Info Services (Google Apps Reseller) ), Jennifer Shaheen Technology Therapy Group,  Beth Goldstein and Barry Horwitz ,Marketing Edge,  Laurie McCabe, SMB Group  and Joanne Domeniconi,  Daily Grommet

Produced by Smallbiztechnology.com, the tour is sponsored by AT&T, BlackBerry, BrightCove, Intuit, e, Snapp Conner PR, Network Solutions, Microsoft, Epson, Marchex, Sage, Elance, Mashable, Small Business Trends, Washington Business Journal, ReTargeter, Boston Business Journal, IT2Max, and Allbusiness.com.

For more information, please visit www.smallbiztechtour.com.<a href=http://ad.retargeter.com/seg?add=54450&;t=2" style='width:.6pt; height:.6pt;visibility:visible'> <a href=http://ad.retargeter.com/seg?add=54450&;t=2" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_21">

WHEN: Monday October25th, 2010 8:00AM-5:00PM, November 5 (Washington, DC), November 9 (Atlanta). The cost is $49.

WHO: As small businesses are a key growth engine for the US economy, the tour delivers valuable information to entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to learn what solutions can easily solve business problems.

WHERE:  Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (NERD), One Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02142 
WHY: Small Business Owners will walk away with tangible solutions for growing their business.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Cool event in Portland OR The Brave New World of Media November 17th

If I was in Portland I would definitely attend.I attended WebVisions put on by Brad Smith and team and it was conference to learn trends. Btw Widen+Kennedy is on a panel - remember the Old Spice guy ?



Ticket prices are $35 general admission, $25 for association members (see below) or $15 for students and can be purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/134843.
Amplify’d from www.webvisionsevent.com
Digital media, the Internet, games and mobile applications have opened up new channels of distribution for film and television and offer tremendous opportunities for enterprising companies. The traditional model of media production is rapidly changing and it’s more important than ever to develop plans to fully leverage film, video and interactive projects to reach audiences around the country and around the world.
Join a panel of experts from feature films and television to advertising and gaming as they explore the secrets of their success and share their insights on the future of media production.

Jeff Geoffray, Blue Rider Pictures

Beth Harrington, Beth Harrington Productions

Nando Costa, Superfad

Bruce Wyman, Second Story

Dan White, Pipeworks Software

TBA, Wieden + Kennedy

Moderator: Brad Smith, Hot Pepper Studios
Read more at www.webvisionsevent.com

Monday, October 18, 2010

From Fans and Followers to Customers and Advocates: Social CRM Presentation at Blog World Expo 2010

This was probably the first time there was a Social CRM session at BlogWorld and my friends Brent Leary and Jacob Morgan presented.

I am appreciative of the fact that they used a few of the results of the Network Solutions' Small Business Success Index results too http://bit.ly/smallbiz4

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Digital world has expanded far beyond the desktop Pew Internet Study

I do not have a ereader but then my phone has a Kindle app and so does the iPad I own. I own a Wii, no MP3 player but my family does. What about you ?

Amplify’d from pewinternet.org

  • Tablet computers and e-book readers – Compared to the other devices in this list, e-book readers (such as the Kindle) and tablet computers (such as the iPad) are relatively new arrivals to the consumer technology scene and are owned by a relatively modest number of Americans. However, these devices are proving popular with traditional early adopter groups such as the affluent and highly educated--ownership rates for tablets and e-book readers among college graduates and those earning $75,000 or more per year are roughly double the national average.

  • Game consoles – Console gaming devices like the Xbox and PlayStation are nearly as common as mp3 players, as 42% of Americans own a home gaming device. Parents (64%) are nearly twice as likely as non-parents (33%) to own a game console.

  • Mp3 players – Just under half of American adults (47%) own an mp3 player such as an iPod, a nearly five-fold increase from the 11% who owned this type of device in early 2005.

  • Desktop and laptop computers – Three quarters (76%) of Americans own either a desktop or laptop computer. Since 2006, laptop ownership has grown dramatically (from 30% to 52%) while desktop ownership has declined slightly.

  • Cell phones – 85% of Americans now own a cell phone. Cell phone ownership rates among young adults illustrate the extent to which mobile phones have become a necessity of modern communications: fully 96% of 18-29 year olds own a cell phone of some kind.
Read more at pewinternet.org
 

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Meet the authors at Booth 421 #bwe10 Fri & Saturday

Got this from @marshacollier's post and this is a great opportunity to meet folks you are connected to offline. Head over with the schedule below

Amplify’d from mcollier.blogspot.com
Friday, 10/15
  • 11:00 - Brian Solis/Engage
  • 11:30 - Laura Fitton/Twitter For Dummies 2e
  • 12:30 - Aaron Brazell/WordPress Bible
  • 1:00 - Mari Smith/Facbook Marketing: Hour A Day
  • 2:00 - Steve Garfield/Get Seen
  • 2:30 - Kevin Nalty/Beyond Viral
  • 3:00 - Jim Kukral/Attention
  • 3:30 - Marsha Collier/eBay For Dummies 6e & Facebook and Twitter For Seniors For Dummies
Saturday, 10/16
  • 11:00 - Lisa Sabin-Wilson/WordPress For Dummies 3e
  • 11:30 - Douglas Karr & Chantelle Flannery/Corporate Blogging For Dummies
  • 1:00 - Brad Williams/Professional WordPress
  • 2:00 - Darren Rowse & Chris Garrett/Problogger 2e
Read more at mcollier.blogspot.com
 

NETWORK SOLUTIONS: MOVIE STAR - @TechBisnow

Wow ! I am so honored to be in this newsletter


Congrats to Kathy Korman Frey, Founder of Hot Mommas Project @chiefhotmomma & WomenGrowBusiness.com Contributor

Was really excited to see that the Washington Business Journal has chosen Kathy Korman Frey, Founder of Hot Mommas Project @chiefhotmomma as a Honoree in its 2010 Women Who Mean Business Awards:



Kathy IS speaking at the GrowSmartBiz small Business conference http://goo.gl/RWyV in Washington DC on Nov 5th organized by Network Solutions and the Washington Business Journal. IF you have heard her speak you will realize just how powerful her message is and her Hot Mommas Project does great work in promoting women entrepreneurship and work life balance.



Ellen Gray is also my favorite - Just visit Equinox to see why. Go here to read the entire list : http://goo.gl/ywNC

The Washington Business Journal is pleased to announce the following honorees in its 2010 Women Who Mean Business Awards:

  • Kathy Korman Frey, Founder of Hot Mommas Project and Vision Forward, LLC
  • Ellen Kassoff Gray, Co-owner, Equinox
Read more at washington.bizjournals.com
 

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Feel better by putting your disappointments in the box

This article will make for great reading this weekend. By Monday an entrepreneur will start a online box for recording your disappointments.

Just like Mark Zuckerberg did in the movie The Social Network go to Network Solutions and get the domain name.

Amplify’d from www.rotman.utoronto.ca

A new study from the Rotman School of Management suggests you might want to stick something related to your disappointment in a box or envelope if you want to feel better. In four separate experiments researchers found that the physical act of enclosing materials related to an unpleasant experience, such as a written recollection about it, improved people's negative feelings towards the event and created psychological closure. Enclosing materials unrelated to the experience did not work as well.
Read more at www.rotman.utoronto.ca
 

Big day tomorrow - 10/10/10 - Contribute to the One Day on Earth project (RT)

Hat tip to Scott Simon of NPR where I heard about this first. Tomorrow all earthlings are invited to take part in an ambitious creative project called One Day on Earth in celebration of the date 10/10/10.
On October 10, 2010 (10.10.10), across the planet, documentary filmmakers, students, and inspired citizens will record the human experience over a 24-hour period and contribute their voice to the largest participatory media event in history. http://vimeo.com/15383279
This may be a little late but still if you know anyone in under represented areas you can help spread the word there. See http://bit.ly/bbhOk2 or join the One Day on Earth page on Facebook. The event is founded by long-time film producer/director, Kyle Ruddick.

See coverage on FastCompany



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Friday, October 08, 2010

Sept. Jobless Rate 9.6 Percent; Private Jobs Up 64,000 : NPR

I wish the news was better. The Washington Post had a good graph that explained the curve between productivity and employment in different stages of the economy. In this case it seems that the economy is recovering but the job growth is not there yet.



Take a look at this study about Small Business and the economy at http://goo.gl/E3Mg


Tuesday, October 05, 2010

What do you have on tap ? And there is a app for that

of all the ideas these days- this is very practical. The inventor of this app will get hugged and otherwise somthered not only by thirst beer drinkers but also the waitresses whose vocal chords he/she has saved by inventing this app both for the iphone or android.



Are you ready to order ? xcuse me while i check my app

Amplify’d from www.readwriteweb.com

Beerby _logo.jpgBenjamin Franklin once said that beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy. But as a self-described beer snob, I admit I'm pretty unhappy when I end up at a bar that doesn't serve what I consider to be a decent brew.

Enter Beerby. Pronounced like "nearby," Beerby is a mobile app (available for both iPhone and Android) that allows you to check in and rate your beer. The app boasts a database of over 40,000 beers, including my favorite locally-brewed IPA. You can add beers that aren't listed yet to help build out the database, as well as leave comments and reviews about the beers you've sampled.

Read more at www.readwriteweb.com
 

Business cards thrive in a digital age @washingtonpost

I love this story. No digital device is going to replace my notebook for taking notes and I will be handing out cards for a long time.

Amplify’d from www.washingtonpost.com


But one paper tool is thriving. It is 3.5 inches long and 2 inches tall. Its use dates to Victorian times, when respectable people presented themselves with a formal flourish and a simple calling card.


Staples, the office supply chain, reports with some surprise that demand for business cards has surged, with double-digit growth over the past three years. Vistaprint, a large online printing company, sells more business cards than almost any other product. Office Depot also reports growing sales.

Read more at www.washingtonpost.com
 

“With technology, you can be based anywhere,” @beckymcray

I am trying my best to make it to this event , Small Town 140 Characters Conference, scheduled for Nov. 1 in Hutchinson. Kansas . iIt is close to the GrowSmartBiz conference I am organizing in DC nov 5th.



Great to see BeckyMcCray in the Wichita Business Journal ( Don't ask how I am reading the Wichita Business Journal )

Amplify’d from wichita.bizjournals.com

And that’s what brought McCray to Wichita on Monday, when she visited The Wichita Business Journal and several other local media outlets.

McCray was promoting the first-ever Small Town 140 Characters Conference, scheduled for Nov. 1 in Hutchinson. “140” because that’s the limit on the number of characters one can send in a Twitter update.

The event is a spin-off of 140 Conferences held in major metro areas, including Los Angeles and London. Conference founder Jeff Pulver (@jeffpulver) said in a press release that “The take-aways from (140 Conferences) will provide attending delegates knowledge, perspectives and insights to the next wave of effects Twitter will have on business.”

McCray (@beckymccray) says that after attending some of the big-city conferences, she said on Twitter that she thought Pulver should do a small-town version of the event. Pulver was listening, and the two got to work on planning the event. Details are available at smalltown.140conf.com.

Read more at wichita.bizjournals.com
 

Monday, October 04, 2010

Hire smart folks & Stay out of the way - Twitter CEO move

being from India I was shocked by this headline from the Washington Post "Evan Williams: Twitter CEO no more http://wapo.st/aV56Oo" . Coming from India " No more" has a very different connotation. Anyway I was glad to see the news more so because Evan Williams has proved to the ultimate leader following the old American Saying " Hire smart folks and stay out of the way". I met Dick Costolo at Tech Cocktail Chicago in 2008 and see the fantastic advice he gave on thisslide http://goo.gl/lux3.



Exciting to see Twitter thinking like Google ( getting Eric Schmidt)

Amplify’d from blog.twitter.com
When I insisted on bringing Dick into the COO role a year ago, I got a lot of questions from my board. But I knew Dick would be a strong complement to me, and this has proven to be the case. During his year at Twitter, he has been a critical leader in devising and executing our revenue efforts, while simultaneously and effectively making the trains run on time in the office. Dick can be even more effective at this now because Ali Rowghani, Adam Bain, Mike Abbott, Katie Stanton and Kevin Thau joined our leadership team this year and are having a big impact. Given Dick’s track record as a three-time successful CEO, I’m confident we can make this a smooth transition.

I’m extremely proud of how far Twitter has come in the last two years. And, I couldn’t be more excited about where our amazing team will take it next.Read more at blog.twitter.com
 

Upshot Smartshot #3: QRacking the QR Code



I liked this nice introductory video on QR Codes. Hat tip to Brian Asner for pointing me to this video.

new ideas can't blossom into profitable projects if everyone in the room is contributing ideas

What do you think ?



"Often the leaders end up doing a lot of the talking, and not listening to any of the ideas that the followers are trying to provide," says HBS associate professor Francesca Gino, who conducted the study with professors Adam M. Grant of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and David A. Hofmann of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Their article, "Reversing the Extraverted Leadership Advantage: The Role of Employee Proactivity," will appear in the Academy of Management Journal next year.

Amplify’d from hbswk.hbs.edu

We often expect corporate executives to conform to certain extroverted CEO stereotypes: C for charismatic, E for effusive, and O for outgoing. To wit: Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson, who very publicly flew around the world in a hot air balloon; former General Electric CEO Jack Welch, a guest player on the sitcom 30 Rock; and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, the swashbuckling yachtsman.

But then there are the introverted CEOs—calm, eremitic, and observant—who prefer flying below the radar. You've never heard of them because they don't like the spotlight. Take Peter Rouse, who last week was named interim White House chief of staff, replacing the extraverted Rahm Emanuel.  Barely known outside of Washington circles, Rouse is a quiet politician who seems to eschew the public eye, preferring instead to hunker down and deal with problems.  Within the walls of the West Wing, he is reportedly known as a "fixer."

Read more at hbswk.hbs.edu
 

AI generated summary of 60 minutes AI edition

In a 60 Minutes interview that aired on April 17, 2023, Google CEO Sundar Pichai warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing rapid...