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Enabling a Virtual Office
By Randy BargerPublished: October 1, 2009
Posted in: 2009 Fall, Technology, Expand Omaha Magazine
In today’s economy, companies want to cut costs while maintaining current productivity levels with possibly fewer employees. That’s a tall task, but new technologies are allowing companies to create virtual, online working environments that are secure and easy to use while providing better performance and functionality than a traditional computing environment.
In a traditional computing environment, all employees physically come to an office to work on computers purchased, configured and managed by the company“s IT staff.
What in the World is a Wiki?
By Denise McGill Published: October 1, 2009, Expand Omaha Magazine
Posted in: 2009 Fall
It’s no secret that internal collaboration and knowledge management are the keys to business growth and success. Accomplishing both is no small feat given the dynamic and ever-increasing demands companies face today. Plus, there’s the difficulty of implementing and enforcing processes to effectively support your interactions among employees as well as with prospects, customers and partners.
Fortunately, wikis can help. Wiki software is used to create websites that allow multiple users to create, modify and organize web page content in a collaborative manner. Wikis are perfect tools for companies that need to manage these critical relationships. Your collaboration processes and technologies must keep pace with – or, ideally, stay ahead of – changes in your market and customer base.
Wikis are easy-to-use, flexible tools that enhance existing work flow processes, rather than requiring re-engineering. As such, wikis present an opportunity to revolutionize workplace collaboration, much like e-mail has revolutionized communication.
For more of this article please visit http://www.expandomaha.com/2009/10/what-in-the-world-is-a-wiki/
NBDC Offers Free Research Services
If you need high quality industry research and market data, Nebraska Business Development Center in the College of Business and Technology will provide it to you at no cost. A typical report provided to business clients would cost almost $1,000 if bought separately from other providers.
The licensed resources can provide timely financial data by sales or organizational structure within an industry sector, detailed GIS demographic and economic data for a geographical region, company market penetration by industry and geographical area, and detailed national industry reports with trends and projections. Compare your own business performance to the industry. Get a better look at the market and coming trends. See how demographic and economic characteristics are forecast to change.
Contact Odee Ingersoll, Director, Nebraska Business Development Center, College of Business & Technology, University of Nebraska Kearney. Phone: 308.865.8429
Financial Resources for Business Ownership
This webinar (51 minutes) provides information to current and potential business owners about Nebraska microenterprise statewide resources. Included is discussion on financing a small /micro business, along with saving and building credit for business ownership. Guest speakers were Jeff Christensen of NED, Inc., and Jeff Reynolds of REAP, along with Rose Jaspersen, Executive Director and Glennis McClure, Program Manager of NEF.
To access the webinar, click on the provided link: https://canhelp.webex.com/canhelp/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=58206977&rKey=3fe5e5feb3f41ade
Visual Merchandizing
Glenn Muske, Oklahoma State University, takes us on a tour of ways that business owners can create compelling visual displays that will draw the interest of customers without breaking the bank. This is an adobe connect webinar courtesy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.(http://www.extension.org/) To access the webinar, click on the title below.
Jim Collins: How to Thrive in 2009
By Bo Burlingham | Apr 1, 2009 Inc. Magazine
As part of our (Inc. Magazine’s) 30th-anniversary issue, Inc. asked Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and Built to Last, what we might expect in the next 30 years. His answer: uncertainty, chaos, turbulence, and risk. In other words, it’s not a bad time to be an entrepreneur.
Engaged Employees for Increased Productivity
In comparing job performance differences between unionized and non-unionized employees, researchers with Gallup Inc. found minimal differences in productivity. However, they did find differences based on whether the company had highly engaged employees. When the basic needs of employees are met in the workplace, these employees are more involved and enthusiastic. “They are more productive, innovative, inclusive, and aligned with the objectives of the overall organization.” For the full article, go to the Gallup Management Journal, Employee Engagement and Labor Relations, 10 September 2009.
Serial Entrepreneur Reveals His 17 Start-up Mistakes
A seasoned entrepreneur reveals the 17 most common mistakes start-ups make and how to avoid them — plus, the 5 things you must do to ensure success.
By: Mark Henricks, Entrepreneur Magazine, February 2004.
A seasoned entrepreneur reveals the 17 most common mistakes startups make and how to avoid them — plus, the 5 things you must do to ensure success. John Osher has developed hundreds of consumer products, including an electric toothbrush that became America’s best-selling toothbrush in just 15 months. He also started several successful companies, including Cap Toys. He built sales to $125 million per year and then sold the company to Hasbro Inc. in 1997. But his most lasting contribution to the business world just may be a list of screw-ups he jotted on the back of a piece of paper. Read more
How to Speed up Your Mail
Follow these guidelines to avoid postal errors and speed up your outgoing delivery.
- Include only the city, state and ZIP+4 code on the last line of the address. In particular, make sure that nothing is placed beneath the ZIP code. Most mail is scanned by machines these days, and if phone numbers or business codes are written beneath the ZIP code, the machines may misread the address, possibly slowing delivery. If you’re ordering or designing mailing labels, check to be certain that they conform to the above points. Read more