Buy a Movie and Load on Your Hard Drive

Sites offering movies for sale:

* Movielink (owned by Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner; Sony Pictures, Universal; MGM; and Paramount, a unit of Viacom)
* CinemaNow (movies from Sony, MGM and Lions Gate)

Apple, Amazon.com and other sites are working to add downloadable movies to their sites.

Though downloading movies provides easy access, the process can be cumbersome. According to Hansell in "At Last, Movies to Keep Arrive on the Internet" in The New York Times, "'a movie will need about 1 gigabyte of hard-drive space and will take an hour or two to download using a high-speed internet connection.'" Additionaly, many of the movies have limited methods by which they can be watched. Other limitations include the downloads not having some of the features offered on DVDs (deleted scenes, bonus features and filmmaker interviews). These limitations concern industry executives since chain stores and Web retailers often discount movies below wholesale costs to gain customers; these low price items are known as "loss leaders." However, even with their limitations, about 400 films can currently be send to your hard drive.

Hotels Remembering Your Preferences to Gain Loyalty

Ritz-Carlton:

* System: New database called "Mystique" catalogues employee observations about guests for all of the company's 60 hotels. Replaces an old system that couldn't share information as easily between hotels.
* Comment: Ritz doesn't ask guests to fill out a form - it instead relies on hotel staff to notice what guests like and dislike, and tailor services accordingly.

Marriott

* System: "Rewarding Welcome" system asks guests for their preferences in pillow type, bed type, room location, extra towels or refrigerator. It now shares the information with eight brands, and 2,600 hotels.
* Comment: Guests fill out a form to participate, so the system is entirely optional.

Hilton

* System: This year Hilton's guest recognition technology is being expanded to include in-room preferences, such as pillow, blanket, need for a crib or rollaway and early or late check in.
* Comment: In 2007, the hotel company hopes to roll out RFID-tagged cards for frequent guests to carry so that the hotel can track them around the property. Example: If the guest walks into the bar, the bartender can have his favorite drink ready before he has to ask. The company is also testing a way for its TVs to greet guests with a customized message when turned on.

Hyatt

* System: In April, Hyatt is rolling out an "e-concierge" system so that guests can tell the hotel in advance about their preferences for amenities life golf, spa and restaurants.
* Comment: Hyatt has a centralized guest history system that captures preferences like room type, amenity type, bed type and location near or far from an elevator. It has special codes employees can log into the system for preferences such as a guest who prefers grapefruit peeled and sliced in a certain way.

Starwood

* System: Starwood (which includes brands like W Hotels, Westin, and Sheraton) doesn't have a tracking system other than its Starwood Preferred Guest Loyalty program.
* Comment: The properties on its more luxurious end, like W, have internal guest-recognition systems. If a guest expresses a love for a certain sports team, the welcome desk will always provide that guest with a game schedule and a list of TV channels on which the team is playing. W asks guests if they want information about preferences to remain with one property, or expect it ot be honored throughout the chain.

Build a stronger business by paying attention to your customers and showing that they matter when they return.

Technology Tip: Synchronization

SugarSync.com is used to replicate and synchronize files across various computers. SugarSync can also be used to backup files by having them saved to a source outside your computer. SugarSynch offers a 35 day free trial with 10 gigabytes of file storage. After the trial, the 10 gigabytes can be maintained for $25 a year. Five other storage plans exist from $50 a year for 30 gigabytes to $250 a year for 250 gigabytes.

Making Food Faster by Adopting High Tech Tools

In "Making Fast Food Even Faster" (The New York Times), Fitzgerald examines the technical advances in the Fast Food industry. HyperActive Technologies, which uses artificial intelligence to predict customer flow, landed their first corporate customer, Zaxby's Franchising, a chain of 400 restaurants in Athens, Ga. in January 2007. It took four years to have a restaurant chain by their product. This is just one example that exemplifies the Fast Food industry's minimal adoption of new technologies.

However, restaurant technology companies are becoming more popular as "'it's the last $100 billion industry that still makes all its products by hand,'" according to r. Coulter, co-founder and chief scientist at HyperActive. Other companies are looking for new areas to access in the food service industry, such as "speed of service" and outside call centers to manage orders. New offerings, such as a wireless tabletop hub to improve table turnover provided by ESP Systems, are being assessed by restaurants.

Additionally, increased interest in new technologies does not always translate into implementation of them. The food industry is primarily focused on food quality and restaurant image. Roger C. Matthews Jr., head of the restaurant group at the investment banking unit of the Goldman Sachs Group, sats that this market is risk-averse as no restuarant can afford a computer failure at peak time. Additionally, other low-tech and low-cost alternatives are available, according to Ron Paul, president of Technomic, a food and restaurant industry consultant. More specifically, Neal E. Sessions III, director of information technology at Zaxby's says that "'the restaurant technology environment generally lags other industries by three to five years.'"

One way to build a stronger business is to take technologies you know and apply them to new industries.

Watch Your Root Canal as a Web Movie

In "You've Had the Root Canal. Now See the Movie," in The New York Times, Eisenberg discusses the addition of internet movies to dental practice. Dr. Jerry Gordon, who directed and starred in "Root Canal Demonstration" shows his patients a root canal through a YouTube video. The video cost $2,000 to make and has been viewed 11,000 times in two months. Dr. Gordon's practice has grown due to the addition of the video. In 2006, 26 new patients found him on the Web before the video, compared to 68 afterwards. Other dentists, such as Dr. Kristy Vetter (www.drvettersmiles.com) have found the sheer act of opeing a website has increased new patients in the paractice, "'we've had three to five patients in the last month or so that came that way, instead of by referral.'" Dr. Vetter is also considering adding video clips to her website.

However, not all dentists believe that publicising videos of dental procedures is good practice: Dr. Roger P. Levin, cheif executive of the Levin Group, a dental consulting firm in Owings, md., remarks, "'I don't see videos of dental procedures on YouTube turning into much of a marketing tool, most people simply don't want to see how our procedures are done.'" Others, such as Julie Supan, YouTube's spokeswoman, see a rising trend in the viewing of on-line tutorials.

Educating your target market is a smart way to build a stronger business.

Is Social Media Valuable for Entrepreneurs?

It may seem like a no-brainer: these days, businesses should use social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter as part of their marketing strategy. As reported in The Wall Street Journal, in 2009 social-media adoption by businesses with fewer than 100 employees doubled to 24% from 12%. If you're not addicted to social networking yourself, you're bound to know plenty of people who are.

But social media may not be as useful as we think. A survey of 500 small-business owners found that just 22% made a profit last year from promoting their firms this way. A lot of time and energy can go into maintaining the company's presence on social sites, and rewards in sales - if they come - can be slow to arrive. Indeed, using social media "could harm you if you end up inadvertently saying something stupid, offensive or even grammatically incorrect," says Larry Chiagouris, professor of marketing at Pace University's Lubin School of Business.

In order to see benefits from this kind of marketing, you have to be patient, dedicated, and consistent. Stephen Bailey, of John Fluevog Boots & Shoes Ltd., says his company saw a 40% increase in online sales in 2009, the first full year they consistently engaged in social media marketing. There are several free services available to help companies track Web traffic from social media sites, including Hootsuite, Google Analytics, CoTweet, and Lodgy.

For some businesses, social media makes sense. Like everything else, though, it's not a silver bullet. Build a better business by using a smart marketing mix.

Can Love Be a Science?

Is true love a science? Plenty of online dating sites say it is. Chemistry.com, which features a questionnaire developed by a biological anthropologist, is supposedly designed to predict a couple's compatibility based on traits of temperament and on brain chemistry. ScientificMatch.com, goes several steps further: they aim to use genetic testing to create that now-not-so-magical romantic chemistry (cheek swabbing kit, DNA processing, and a criminal and bankruptcy background check are all included in the $1,995.95 lifetime membership).

Both sites are an extension of the idea eHarmony.com originally developed, which suggests that certain areas of compatibility – like values and important experiences – are solid predictors of relationships success. "In the long haul, you want to be able to manage conflicts, celebrate positives and get through the day-to-day relationship. Our system is there to take care of that so you can now focus on who you find really attractive, that you feel really passionate about, says Gian Gonzaga, eHarmony's senior director of research and development.

Online dating is a $976 million annual industry in the U.S., according to estimates from the research firm Marketdata Enterprises. Sites like Chemistry.com and eHarmony are building brand identity when they target people who are looking for relationships instead of just dating. In turn, they are able to charge more per subscriber.

Creating a positive business relationship with your customers and partners also involves managing conflicts, celebrating wins, and making progress through day-to-day issues.

Build a stronger business by being aware of how you structure and maintain your business relationships and being open to constructive feedback.

A New Way to Pay

If you're ten years old, you can't use your own credit card to buy dog food at the local store. But now you can buy digital dog food for a online pet in much the same manner - using Kwedit. As reported in The New York Times, a new payment option has just become available to anyone, no matter how young they are. In the new system, a "Kwedit Promise" is used to buy items in games by FooPets and Puzzle Pirates. The items can be paid off later using a regular credit or debit card; with cash sent in a provided mailer; or by printing a barcode, taking it to your local 7-Eleven, and paying cash there.

FooPets, which has over a million active members and signs up 20,000 to 25,000 new members each day, lets users adopt lifelike digitally animated pets and then buy virtual goods for them - everything from a bag of puppy chow for $3 to a bungalow for $333 - using Kwedit. "Buy now, pay later" is always a seductive marketing tool. Users are encouraged to pay the actual funds they owe by the fact that they accrue a Kwedit score, similar to a regular credit score, and more Kwedit is extended to each user based on his or her history of repayment. But since the marginal cost of virtual goods is negligible, there's no serious risk of major financial loss if the promise is not repaid.

Like FooPets and similar systems - considered "nurturing games" that encourage responsibility and other adult lessons - Kwedit is a way to introduce young people to important ideas in a relatively safe environment.

You can build a stronger business by applying the "nurturing games" concept to your customer service.

Making Web Site that Fit Your Phone

Companies are increasingly turning to Web communities to build their brand, provide customer service, and unveil new products. Online forums, which often allow costumers to address a problem before they have to call a service line, have saved millions of dollars in deflected calls. A unique challenge is arising for these companies, however, as more and more people choose to access the Web on their mobile phones. Web sites created for computers usually don't load as well onto phones, so many companies, including Hewlett-Packard, are discussing ways to build new Web sites specifically for wireless users. "We definitely have work to do to get our Web site mobile friendly, [and] we know our customers want it," says Lois Townsend, H-P's directory of community.

There's an upside to creating content for cellphones, however: it provides a greater opportunity to be interactive with customers. Lithium Technologies Inc., plans to create a platform this year through which companies can draw feeds from services like Facebook and Twitter onto their own sites. It will work on any phone. Phillip Soffer, Lithium's vice president of product marketing, says that "because the community is active and based on addictive behavior, it's the kind of thing that works well on mobile phones." Other companies are also seeking to bring large corporate sites to the mobile Web. Jive Software Inc., which currently powers communities for companies like Nike, is working with a program designed specifically for the iPhone. In focusing on smart-phone users, Jive is hoping to tap customers with a desire for deeper functionality.

Build a stronger business by building and cultivating an online community that's as convenient as a cell phone.

Everybody's a Movie Critic

Here are some great movie review websites that allow user input:

Rottentomatoes.com
Moviereviewintelligence.com
Metacritic.com

An Easy Way to Replicate Files

SugarSync.com is used to replicate and synchronize files across various computers, and also can also help you backup files by having them saved to a source outside your computer. SugarSynch offers a 35 day free trial with 10 gigabytes of file storage. After the trial, the 10 gigabytes can be maintained for $25 a year. Five other storage plans exist, from $50 a year for 30 gigabytes to $250 a year for 250 gigabytes.

Online Learning Pros and Cons

The Internet has made the online learning experience much like that in a real classroom. In the fall of 2006, 3.5 million students were taking online courses, up 10% from the previous year, according to Sloan Consortium, a nonprofit group that studies trends in online learning. Today, more than two-thirds of all higher education institutions offer online classes.

Professors and students have more flexibility learning online; however, there are disadvantages. Online professors are working just as hard as full time professors who meet with their students in person, but are being paid less. Many professors who do online learning are part timers, typically getting paid $1,000 to $1,500 to teach a course while a full time professor gets about ten times more than that, according to Professor Ruth at George Mason University. Spencer Anderson, an adjunct professor at North Lake College, says he was supposed to teach two traditional courses with about 12 students each but many students chose to take the online course, so he ended up teaching 40 students online and was only paid for one course, which has effected his income.

The biggest growth in online teaching has been at two-year colleges, and public colleges are at the forefront, according to the Sloan Consortium. The University of Phoenix has about 12,500 online faculty members. Online teaching gives teachers the opportunity of having a flexible schedule and supplemental income, while maximizing profits for the universities by decreasing expenses on salaries.

Building a stronger business is about scaling up, and there's a lot to be learned from the virtual education model.

Online Ads

In the New York Times article "Online Pitches Made Just For You", it describes techniques used by Alaska Airlines that many consumers are most likely unaware of. Alaska Airlines is introducing a system on the Internet to create unique ads for people as they cruise the web.

This is slightly different from direct mail or telemarketing because companies do not know the consumers name; instead, consumers are identified by their computers, using cookies.

Alaska Airlines uses a range of information to select the ads for each individual consumer surfing the web, including the person's geographic location, the number of times they have seen an Alaska Airlines ad, whether the person visited the company's website, the persons purchase history with the airline and their experience with lost bags, delays and flight cancellations.

Since Alaska Airlines is a small operation,it is important that its ads narrowly aim at people who might actually fly to the particular areas they service. The first phase of the new system even offers different flight prices to different people by analyzing how price sensitive certain consumers seem to be. Another data practice used at Alaska Airlines is called "re-targeting" which records who visits the web site and then turns that information over to the airline's ad delivery company. Next, when those people are elsewhere on the web, they are shown the ad. This means that people who visit Alaska Airlines' site receives ads that are different from those seen by people who have not.

Tracking individual actions and responding intelligently is a sure way to build a stronger business.

More About Business Travel Blogs

Business travel is now the subject of many blogs. BoardingArea.com is a directory to blogs that address issues of interest to business travelers. Tracy Gamble, VP for business development at Propylon, reads three or four travel blogs regularly, including the Informed Traveler, CloudTravel and Gridskipper. Also, J.W. Marriot Jr, chairman and chief executive at Marriott International, began a blog called Marriott on the Move. He loves reading the customer responses to posts. Starwood, the hotel chain, started a blog TheLobby.com to provide information to customers in its loyalty program.

Blogs can also be a quick way to gauge customer reaction to policies. Southwest Airlines has a blog, Nuts About Southwest. A schedule planner wrote in a post that the airline sold its inventory only three months in advance; however, after an outcry online it changed its policy and now sells inventory four months in advance.
Delta's blog, blog.delta.com, has posted proposed screen shots for its self service kiosks on the blog to get feedback from travelers.

Bringing the voice of your customers into your company is another way to build a stronger business.

iPhone Convincer

Watching this again put me over the top.

Google's Looking to Do Good

According to Kevin Delaney's Wall Street Journal article "Google: From 'Don't Be Evil' to How to Do Good", Google, Inc. has engaged in a project that will blur the boundary between the profit and non-profit areas. In this $30 million proposal, efforts will be made to predict and prevent disease pandemics, increase the poor's access to public services, and create new jobs. They will also be joining other efforts to improve access to plug-in cars and renewable energy sources. According to the Foundation Center, these grants and proposals "make it larger than any in-house corporate foundation in the U.S." Both company and foundation resources are being utilized in this initiative. Other groups, such as eBay and Pierre Omidyar's Omidyar Network, are also working to merge the profit and non-profit worlds.

Thinking outside the box and expanding your business' reach will build a stronger business.

Online Videos Serve as a Marketing Tool

In a New York Times articles, "You've Had the Root Canal. the Movie," Anne Eisenberg presents how YouTube can been used as a marketing strategy.

Dr. Jerry Gordon, a dentist in Bethlehem, PA., provided an informative video on his performance of a root canal. The video has been viewed more than 11,000 times within the first 2 months it was put up.

Other dentists may soon join Dr. Gordon in the usage of this marketing tool, especially those who have had success with regular Webpages. Dr. Kristy Vetter, dentist in Laguna Higuel, CA., says "We've had three to five patients in the last month or so that came that way, instead of by referral." The internet offers information and reassurance for customers of your quality of service.

Educating your target market is a smart way to building a stronger business.

Making Fast Food FASTER

In "Making Fast Food Even Faster" (The New York Times), Michael Fitzgerald examines the technical advances in the fast food industry - advances that have been very slow in coming. HyperActive Technologies, which uses artificial intelligence to predict customer flow, landed their first corporate customer, Zaxby's Franchising, a chain of 400 restaurants in Athens, Ga,. in January 2007. It took four years to have a restaurant chain buy their product.

However, restaurant technology companies are becoming more popular as "'it's the last $100 billion industry that still makes all its products by hand,'" according to R. Coulter, co-founder and chief scientist at HyperActive. Other companies are looking for new areas to access in the food service industry, such as "speed of service" and outside call centers to manage orders. New offerings, such as a wireless tabletop hub to improve table turnover provided by ESP Systems, are being assessed by restaurants.

Increased interest in new technologies does not always translate into implementation. The food industry is primarily focused on food quality and restaurant image. Roger C. Matthews Jr., head of the restaurant group at the investment banking unit of the Goldman Sachs Group, says that this market is risk-averse as no restuarant can afford a computer failure at peak time. Additionally, other low-tech and low-cost alternatives are available, according to Ron Paul, president of Technomic, a food and restaurant industry consultant. More specifically, Neal E. Sessions III, director of information technology at Zaxby's, says that "'the restaurant technology environment generally lags other industries by three to five years.'"

One way to build a stronger business is to take technologies you know and apply them to new industries.

Creating Favicons is Easy

Creating those little icons that show to the left of the URL address in a web browser is simple when you use either of these online tools:

• FavIcon from Pics
• Dynamic Drive - FavIcon Generator

People who build a stronger business look for fast, simple, effective tools to get their work done...or they delegate it.

Upgrading Voicemail Messages

Voicemail messages have been upgraded, thanks to the free services provided by Youmail (www.youmail.com) and GrandCentral (http://grandcentral.com).

In The Wall Street Journal article, "Voicemail Gets A Lot More Fun With Free Services", Sarmad Ali details his experience with both services.

Youmail allows users to personalize their voicemail messages for individual callers in a phonebook, denies messages from unwanted callers and only requires users to type in a mobile phone number and an email address to sign up. Although a long-distance number is required to retrieve messages, canceling service is apparently as simple as signing up for it.

GrandCentral is even easier to use and provides the same services as Youmail but users must be invited to sign up.

A unique feature the service provides is a phone number that links home, office and cell phone numbers, allowing users to check just one mailbox.

When the phone rings, users pick up and hear a recording of the caller's name and four options for handling the call. New callers are asked to say their names the first time they call, which enables the service to recognize them everafter.

These are just a couple of on-the-go solutions for building a stronger business.