New iPhone app means you only need to print 1 business card.

Apple took out a full page ad in today’s paper to promote a number of their iPhone apps that are good for business.  One application stood out to me, and it could save you a whopping amount in printing.

Possible Scenario at your next meeting:

PROSPECT: “Do you have a business card?”
YOU:  “Sure.”

Then…

• You produce a card (or something glamorous made from long-lasting plastic, platinum etc. with all your details - including your Twitter handle!)
• Your contact takes a photo of it with their iPhone (what else would you use, really?).
• Your details are now in their phone.

No paper, no waste.

The Business Card Reader allows you to take the photo of a business card on your iPhone (or Blackberry). It then ‘reads’ the data and enters the details into your address book.

So, no scanning, data entry, or piles of business cards stashed in drawers.
Now all you need is one business card and friends and colleagues with iPhones.

I’ll be getting the app.

Suzi

Is your slip showing? Ways to protect your mobile devices.

By Julie Wise, The Silver Owl.

Laptops, mobile phones, iPhones, Blackberrys and USB drives can conveniently store data outside your work environment. But portability has a downside.

Devices are easily stolen and their data is valuable with many thieves admitting to stealing devices for the information stored on them.

Protect your device from damage

It goes without saying that one of the most common threats to mobile devices is physical damage. What happens if you drop your laptop, accidentally sit on it or spill that much-needed coffee over your iPhone? There is no fail-safe way to protect yourself against this risk, the important thing is take precautionary measures to avoid losing data if your device is damaged.

A  couple of simple ways you can protect yourself include using a secure, encrypted USB flash memory drive to back up your data, the thought being your back up is on your person and separate from your laptop. Best of all is back up data to an online storage site so your data doesn’t go missing if your laptop is damaged.

Get smart when it comes to which data you carry.

Finders keepers

However, your greater risk is that your device will be lost or stolen.  Your data is the most valuable and hard-to-replace thing about your device, make protecting your data the number one priority.

Some things to help with physical theft!

• Be smart. Don’t let your mobile device out of your sight. Don’t be showy with your equipment. Carry your gadgets and laptop as inconspicuously as possible.
• Label your property. Labeling reduces the value of the equipment, since it’s extra work for the thief to remove the labels. You can purchase devices that will imprint your logo onto the case of the device. (Check with the manufacturer before branding equipment.)
• Use security products. You can increase the physical security of your device by investing in a cable lock, beaconing software, lock boxes, or BIOS settings. Any of these can greatly improve physical security and deter theft. Even a password required at login helps.
• Complex passwords and encryption solutions make it difficult for your laptop to be “hacked” by criminals if it is stolen.
• Remote data protection so sensitive data can be wiped remotely if your device goes missing.
• Use the hard drive password setting on your laptop. It provides good security, but is also the most unforgiving if a password is lost.   If you do set the hard drive password, store it in a safe place (which is not on the laptop or in the laptop case!).

Get smart when it comes to which data you carry.

Look at the data you have stored on your device and ask yourself whether you really need to have this sensitive data stored on the device, or whether you could remove certain aspects of it to be safer. Some questions to help you determine your real needs - whether you have sensitive data, and whether you really need to:

• Do you have old personnel files or employee evaluations that can be deleted?
• Have you collected ABN / TFN /ACN / Bank Account as identifiers?
• Do you have a file with credit card numbers from clients or users? OR even your own?
• Do you collect birthdates along with names for any reason?
• Did you answer “yes” to any of these?   If you did, consider whether you have a legitimate business need for this information, and if you do, whether you really need to store this data on a mobile device:
  • If you do have a legitimate business need for sensitive data on your mobile device, consider some ways you could make this data safer:
    • Could you access it on a server versus storing it on the local hard drive?
    • Could you remove elements of the data that render it harmless if it were to be unintentionally disclosed? (For example, TFN numbers by themselves pose no threat. However, if coupled with names in a file, they can prove to be injurious.)
    • Could you encrypt the data?
• Ensure you’re only carrying the data you think you are. It’s a good idea to look in your most frequently used folders, and your “Temp” folder, and purge any unneeded files, every week or two.

Ensure a secure Internet connection everywhere - including at home

Taking all the care in the world with the security of your mobile devices won’t matter if you connect them using low-security Internet connections such as public, unsecured wireless.  Don’t sabotage your efforts to protect your property and sensitive data by making mistakes borne of ignorance or overconfidence.

• Use secure wireless. While using a public wireless networks at airports, bookstores, and coffee shops is convenient, it’s also one of the most dangerous things you can do with your mobile device. You’re just asking for someone to “shoulder surf,” steal your data, or your identity. Use only approved wireless access points. Ensure you only connect to wireless networks that you actively choose.
• Disable file and print sharing. You may not have this enabled, but in case you do, turn it off before going mobile. It allows other users to connect to your computer, something you may find desirable while in a work environment, but certainly not so while on the go.
• Disable your wireless Internet connection when not in use. When you’re not using it, having your wireless Internet on is just an added security risk. Many newer devices literally have an on/off “switch” for the wireless card.

Don’t get caught with your slip showing! Be prepared: better safe than sorry.

---

Julie Wise - The SilverOwl Julie has over 25 years in business operations, strategy and performance improvements. She is an accredited Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an alumnus of the Institute of Executive Coaching. She established The SilverOwl specifically to help businesses with their strategies and operational efficiencies. With Julie’s wealth of experience, and network of associates, The SilverOwl provides access to a vast range of business performance solutions and experienced professionals. Julie is on the Australian Business Women’s Network Advisory Board and the NSW Committee for the Australian Women’s Archive Project. In Jan 2010, she joined the Fred Hollows Foundation. Email: julie@thesilverowl.com.au Website: www.thesilverowl.com.au Twitter: www.twitter.com/julie_wise LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/juliewise Member Profile: See Julie’s Member Profile

My Top 9 iPhone Social Media Applications for 2009

There are probably a dozen iphone apps that I use regularly. Some are standard and functional e.g. Google Maps (a humdinger when I get lost in the city or need to get directions while overseas), Voicememo (often used to record messages to remind myself to do things) and the weather application.

While I have some fun apps e.g. Shazam (song recognition) and  Check Please (for calculating tips when travelling in the US), most of the apps I use enhance or enable my social media activity.

The applications allow me to post to my blog (and respond to comments), tweet, check my web stats, record an audio blog, instant message my contacts, create a video and post it with one click, add photos to my social networks - to name just a few options.

Here are 9 of my favourite social media related apps. They are not in order. All are in the itunes Applications store but I have included below links to the developers websites. Most apps are free, but a couple have a small (and worthwhile) fee.

Audioboo

This is an iphone audioblogging application. You record a message (up to 5 mins) and host it on the Audioboo site with the click of an icon. You can then use the embed code in blog posts or in statuses on Twitter and Facebook. Here’s a post where I’ve used the AudioBoo app during our 30 Days of Social Media program.

Analytics

The free version is sufficient for me to be able to check the traffic on our blog and website easily.

Tweetie

While I also have TweetDeck and Twitterific, Tweetie is the one that I find easiest to use to track Twitter conversations and add tweets.

What’s App

This is very cool. What’s App is an iphone to iphone messenger without text/SMS costs.

Gorillacam

Just started using this app. Adds great functionality to your iphone camera. Paparazzi (3shot) option, self-timer, time lapse as well as a ‘press anywhere’ option overcomes some of the frustrations of using an iphone camera. Team it with a Gorillapod (a mini tripod for your iphone) and you have a pretty cool camera.

Facebook

You’ve probably got this if you’re on Facebook. It’s improved and easy to use to update status and stay up with news. Could use a little more functionality.

Dragon Dictation

This app provides voice recognition on your iphone. You can record and translate sound and then send to mail or txt. Great for quick memos.  [I have to share this as it made for a good laugh. When I was first using it I was speaking slowly saying "This is Suzi". The translation was coming up as "This is Crazy"… so I guess it needs a little practise to get it working write (or a feined US accent may help)].

Animoto

Select from pics on your iphone, choose a soundtrack from Animoto’s library and click a button - and you have a professional customised video, for free. Fun for holidays and capturing special moments.

FaceMic for Facebook

This is a new one for me and was recommended by Facebook maven Mari Smith. It allows me to record a message and post it to a friend’s Facebook page. Great for birthday messages.

BONUS - CAUSE IT’S WORTH MENTIONING!

CrushIt

You may have heard of Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV fame.The story goes that he turned a $5 million dollar business into a $50 million and has created fame and fortune online through his video blog. His book - Crush It - has been created as an app that is a vook (a video book). At the start of each chapter you get to see and hear Gary and then you can read the book Kindle-style within the app. It’s a great way for any author to deliver their content and I can see applications for many educators and content creators.

As I said earlier, these are just a few of the tools that help me manage and create social media content and which allow me to keep up with the conversations that I choose to be a part of - while I’m ‘on the go’. (Of course that is today… apps are being created so quickly some of these may be replaced by newer/better ones… in which case I’ll be sure to post any new discoveries.)

Got a great iphone app to share? I’d love to hear about it.

Best wishes,

Suzi

What/which technology(ies) do you implement to leverage your business activities, efforts and results?

We asked our community this question for the current issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter. A compilation of these answers was published for our community of women across Australia to learn from. Click here to read our current newsletter, and click here to read the answers we received.

Please let us know your thoughts, and add a comment here.

Wanted - Women who want to be more effective online

I want to let you in on something…

At the Australian Businesswomen’s Network (ABN) we recognise (and are often told by members) that MORE training and education about how to have a successful online presence, how to have a great website, how to get more traffic, and how to use social media is essential for women in small business.

So, when the opportunity arose for us to ask the Government for support to create a national program to help women get their business online, and to help women improve the results of their websites, we jumped at the chance.

We are in the process of completing a proposal (that we’ll present to the government next week) for a new national training program. The Doing Business Online Training Program* will be available to you at no cost.

But to make it happen I need your help.

We need to show evidence that (what we suspect) there IS a need for a training program that gives women in business skills and education to build successful online businesses and to extend their existing businesses online. And, that as a leading Australian education provider, the ABN is the right organisation to spearhead this initiative.

So, I have a few short questions I’d like you to answer. They are in this quick survey which will take you less than 5 minutes to complete. Your answers will make up part of our application to demonstrate the need for this program - with real-life comments and views from Australian women in business.

The success of our proposal requires that our community - YOU - are shown to support the development of this program.

I appreciate your time, and thank you in advance. Go to the survey now.
Sincerely,

Suzi

P.S. Pass the link on to other women in business. The more feedback and evidence we have that a program like this is needed and wanted, the more likely the government will provide the support for us to develop an outstanding program for your benefit.

It will take you less than 5 minutes to tell us what we can do to help you get started and get firing with an online aspect to your business.

*Doing Business Online is a working title only.

Thanks to ABN member Kate Tribe of Tribe Research for her help compiling these survey questions.

Twitter for Business - Free recording of Webinar

The world is a-flutter with news of microblogging site Twitter.  The early adopters are wondering what all the fuss is about (and possibly that everyone would just quit acting as though they discovered sliced bread) … but for those who are newbies there is still a big question about why/if they should join the movement and if so, how does it all work?

Twitter for Business | Suzi Dafnis

After many requests from members, the Australian Businesswomen’s Network I presented this webinar on why and how to use Twitter to grow your business.

We looked at:

• How to use Twitter to grow your business and position you as an expert
• How to make Twitter your powerful marketing tool (and how to measure the results)
• What you should tweet about (and the subjects you should avoid)
• How to manage your time on Twitter efficiently?
• Cool tools to leverage your ‘tweets’ that allow you to do more with less
• Defining a Twitter strategy that helps meet your business objectives

You can listen to the recording here.

Best wishes,

Suzi

P.S. Business webinars like this one are part of the continuous learning programs that we provide members of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Each month free webinars on business subjects (and featured expert presenters) help women to grow their knowledge. Different membership levels are available depending on your business goals and experiences. You can learn more about membership here.

*Note, Mac users may have trouble seeing this webinar. Citrix is trying to fix this issue but for now there is no solution. It is recommended that Mac users download the VLC Media Player, which is a free download, (www.download.com) to play the webinar without issue.

Niche Online Recruiter Matches Top Talent with Top Jobs

Kelly Magowan is a serial entrepreneur and founder of the premium job site Six Figures tells you how to build trust with your website visitors and how to be a more attractive employer (even when your salary budget is smaller than your competitor’s).

In this interview conducted for the Internet Marketing issue of the Women in Business eNewsletter Kelly and I discussed:

• How to build trust with your audience through your website
• Why your online brand impacts your credibility
• How you can make your business attractive to prospective employees (even if you can’t pay the types of dollars larger companies can)
• The mistakes businesses make when hiring staff

Click here to listen to the interview with Kelly Magowan of Six Figures.

How To Get More Done — Free Tool!

I’m a sucker for finding how to get more done. I know many women in business juggle LOTS and so here’s a tool that was recommended to me that I want to share with you.

This online work journal is said to help you focus on what’s important and to optimise your working day. It even claims that you’ll notice the benefits straight away. Let me know if you try it out and it works.

http://www.journallive.com

I just need to get organised enough to get to the point on my list of todos where I can look at it