LindaOJ here and I am excited to be here again this year, and because I have experienced some of the challenges SMB’s face during the first years I am here to share with you some of the strategies I found worked for me.

In my early years of building Motivational Steps I often thought it would be easier to move forward if I had a pot of gold handy. That way I could spend more money on marketing; I could purchase a new computer, and I could attend all the conferences so that I would meet the people I needed to meet.

How wrong was I? And you know what, we don’t know what we don’t know! I had no idea back then that money is a useful tool but if you don’t build strong foundations for your business the money disappears down the drain, just like rainwater without a rain barrel.

I have to admit my instincts are one of my biggest assets, so my first tip is use your instincts: trust in yourself. Even though you will be offered a lot of advice, take only what you think will work for you otherwise you might veer off in the wrong direction for no good reason.

Let’s take a look at some of the basic needs we have when we first decide to start our own business:

• Somewhere to work: either an office space, or a building from which to sell our products and services.
• Office equipment: computer, server, phone system, cell phone, printer, fax machine, desk, filing cabinet… to name a few items you would find in any office.
• A vehicle to transport us to and from work, to deliver orders, or visit our customers.
• A bank account, cheques, credit card etc.
• Internet, somewhere to host our website, advertising etc.
• Uniform, business attire.
• Business Networking

Wow, that’s quite a list I came up with, and to be fair, I know I did not have half of the items listed—so fear not… where there is a will there is a way! I will share that there is something called a barter system, quite simply if you are a graphic designer and you want some printing done, you might offer your services for free to the printer and they do your graphic design work. Again this works with some businesses but not all.

If we take a look at Motivational Steps (my consulting business, which by the way started off purely as a platform to launch my professional speaking) we still operate from a home office. Here are some of the reasons why I don’t need office space and save a lot of money which can be spent better elsewhere in my business.

Office Space

• My clients connect with me through a third party, we may chat over the phone or meet in person if applicable. I travel to various locations around the world to offer keynotes/workshops and have not yet found a need for a corporate office.
• We have a mail box with a really nice business address to which all of our business mail is delivered. This offers a corporate look and feel, without the expense of leasing/rent expenses each month.
• Eventually my husband and I moved to a larger house so that we could have our home offices built specifically to our needs.
• Clients can purchase my books, training, web-seminars online via my website, so there is no need for me to pay for a store in which to sell my products.

Office Equipment

• My first cell phone was a necessity not a luxury item: a basic very large black phone, which I coincidentally purchased from a local TELUS store. It was affordable and did the job. Smart phones are wonderful and I have an iPhone myself, but in my early days of starting out I could not justify the expense when I needed so many other more important items.
• On the advice of my business partner and husband, I did invest in a desktop computer, but we had it built specifically for my needs. It did not have all the bells and whistles included, mainly because of the cost, but I really did not need them in those days. That desktop lasted me a good      amount of years and was worth every penny I invested in it. Some companies lease their office equipment, and this could be a good way to gain a tax break.
• I already had an office desk that had been used mainly for myself and my children; when the time came to use a spare bedroom as my office space I felt quite happy using the desk, it was great for the job in hand and it meant I did not have to splash out any money on a new one.
• As for the business phone, I decided to go for something called a distinctive ring, which meant my home phone and my business phone were the same, apart from the fact they had different numbers and the distinctive ring meant I knew when it was for business versus a family call. This eliminated the risk that a business call might be answered by a member of my family in not quite the right way I would have liked. Once my business was up and running we invested in a business phone which has all the bells and whistles and lots of great things that help my business continue to be productive and professional.

Transportation

I do not have to deliver items to any of my clients, but obviously I need to drive from one place to another. After a couple of years using the family vehicle for my business I decided to lease a car for my own use. This can be a great investment from a tax perspective but be sure to check with your accountant because all businesses have different rules and regulations. I did learn a harsh lesson though, and I will share this with you in the hope you think before you leap. My goal was to eventually lease a Mini Cooper because my first car in the UK was the original Mini. My dream came true in 2009; I immediately rushed and paid to have my logo and business information put onto the outside of my Mini. Unfortunately after almost a year my Mini had to go back to the dealer due to some quite serious challenges, but BMW Mini were fantastic and replaced it with a brand new model. Unfortunately they would not cover the cost of the logo etc., so I lost out financially and decided not to go the same route the second time around. I would suggest you look at alternative ways to advertise your business via your vehicle before jumping in and making the investment.

Financials

• A business bank account is a necessity, but check around with your financial institutions to get the best deal for your small business; any money saved can be invested elsewhere. You might find if you don’t use the teller services and use the bank machine for your transactions you can save money that way.
• In the early years, some small businesses prefer to do their own basic bookkeeping to save money. There are several accounting packages available for the computer that can be mastered in just a few hours.
• Money does not grow on trees, contrary to urban legend!

Business Networking

• We all need to network to connect with possible clients, people who will refer us and to keep up with new trends etc. Unfortunately we may not have the money in the early days to pay for membership or even guest fees to network. This is where the social media platforms are valuable because we can build new connections online and it is free (unless we decide to upgrade and pay for premium services on LinkedIn as an example.) Obviously the sooner you can network face-to-face also does mean you have a better chance of building your exposure and credibility, but one step at a time worked for me.
• The Internet is a necessity, more so today than ever. But you still need to shop around for the best deals. Look at your Internet provider to see if they can offer you a package for your cell and landline along with your Internet and chose the best deal for you. You will need to host your website somewhere and once again I suggest you shop around, ask your connections for their recommendations.
• Last but not least your work attire. Depending on your business you may well have a uniform of sorts. You might be a Limo driver, a cleaner, or a catering company, so a uniform would suit you well for many reasons. In some cases you may be able to claim expenses for a uniform and the maintenance of that uniform. Ask your accountant they will know. Most people tend to wear a business suit. In my case my clothes are a big part of my brand, so this is an important expense that I make sure I have money for.

So what have we discovered by looking at Motivational Steps and what did I decide was a necessity for my business, and what did I deem a luxury?

I believe that we all have to do more with little, not just in the early days but sometimes even in a well advanced business. It could be that our clients do not pay in a timely manner, or that we did not get a business loan to help us through the early years. In some cases you may need a smart phone because of the type of work you do and you might be on the road a lot. This is a genuine business need versus a want, to different things. Once your business is up and running you may well have more financial freedom to splurge, but no business can ever be successful if you are constantly in debt, stressing over where the next client is coming from and you cannot afford to do something as basic as networking to move your business forward.

I would advise reaching out and seeking experts, such as TELUS, or another organization of your choice that can help you with your questions and concerns. Why reinvent the wheel and do all the work yourself when you have enough to do building your business?

“Never spend your money before you have earned it.” - Thomas Jefferson

Linda Ockwell-Jenner is a President of Motivational Steps and Co-Founder of the Small Business Community Network (SBCN) based in Waterloo Region. Find out more about Linda at www.motivationalsteps.com and www.sbcncanada.org

If last week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is any indication, "ultrabooks" are poised to be the hottest laptop category this year.

An "ultrabook" is a new category of incredibly thin and lightweight laptops – "ultraportable," if you will -- that also benefit from a powerful processor.

In other words, there's no trade-off between size and performance as there was just a couple of years ago with small but underpowered netbooks.

A term coined by Intel, "ultrabooks" not only have a fast processor to handle demanding tasks – such as video editing and smooth multitasking – but they also enjoy long battery life, too (once the Achilles' heel of laptops).

At CES, Intel announced more than 75 ultrabooks were it he works for 2012, most of which will house a Core i5 processor, capable of sipping rather than gulping electricity. Most offer at least 8 hours on a single charge.

Ultrabooks also benefit from Intel Rapid Start, a proprietary technology that uses flash memory embedded in the Intel chipset to improve boot-up times considerably.

Some believe the increasingly popularity of tablets had a direct influence on the creation of ultrabooks, as consumers wanted something thinner and lighter to tote around, with a high-powered but low-voltage processor. It would also be remiss not to draw comparisons to Apple's successful line of MacBook Air computers – ultrabooks might be considered a Windows-based version, but many PC makers are adding their own unique spin to the form factor.

At CES, HP unveiled the gorgeous glass-covered Envy 14 Spectre ultrabook with multiple wireless radios under the hood (launching next month), while Lenovo debuted its IdeaPad Yoga, a flexible ultrabook that can swivel into a tablet 9due out later in the year).

I mentioned there were no trade-offs between size and performance but be aware there might be something you're giving up with ultrabooks – and it might be an important consideration for businesses. Most ultrabooks use SSD (flash) memory instead of a HDD (hard drive), which means less storage for all your programs and files. But with "cloud computing" becoming a big trend, it may mean less locally-stored files anyway.

Therefore, if you enjoy carrying around many thousands of documents, presentations or media (photos, videos, etc.) you might opt for a laptop with a hard drive instead.

Lightweight SSD-based computers also contribute to the fast boot-up times and zippy performance, not to mention the lack of rotating magnetic disks means it also helps extend battery life and makes the PC more durable, too.

Also be aware most ultrabooks do not have an optical drive, so you can't run software on a CD-ROM or burn a DVD – unless you opt for an external optical drive that plugs into the ultrabook's USB port. Personally, I haven't used my DVD burner in my laptop in nearly three years, so I wouldn't miss it.

As you might expect, prices for ultrabooks are higher than standard laptops –something budget-conscious businesses must keep in mind, especially if they're handing them to multiple employees -- but prices will inevitably come down over time.

In some ways, cloud storage is safer than local storage. In other ways, it’s less safe.

Let's first cover what cloud computing is, its many benefits and its potential drawbacks.

Cloud computing refers to accessing, sharing or collaborating on files that are stored on the Internet (“the cloud”), instead of, or in addition to, your personal computer at home or at the office.

There are many advantages to cloud computing over local storage:

• You can access your photos or documents from virtually any Internet-connected computer, tablet or smartphone.

• Because these files are stored offsite -- available via a password-protected website in cyberspace -- they’re also protected from computer theft and local damage such as fire, flood, power surge or a nasty virus.

• With cloud computing, people can work together on projects in real-time, even though they’re in different geographic locations.

• Cloud computing can also reduce congestion in someone’s inbox. Rather than trying to email a number of photos or videos to family members or friends, you can simply store them in the cloud and send a link.

But cloud computing has a few shortcomings too:

• These services are online-only, so if you don’t have an Internet connection (or if it goes down), you could be without your data. Cloud computing requires a lot of faith in the fact that you’ll have an "always on" connection, anywhere and anytime -- even at 30,000 feet.

• Your information is still stored on computer servers -- just not yours -- so there’s always a risk of data theft, viruses or glitches. Plus, your computer or device might have links directly to your cloud service. For example, services such as Dropbox show up as just another folder that appears to be stored locally. Anyone who has your computer or device can simply click on the Dropbox folder or icon and access everything you’ve stored on Dropbox’s servers if you haven’t password-protected that folder.

• If you have password-protected access to your cloud service -- like you must in Google Docs, for example -- that doesn’t mean your data isn’t hackable. If a hacker gets inside your account, he could change your password and make it very difficult for you to get back in. It’s unlikely, but possible. Plus, how well do you trust the company you’re giving your data to? Do you know where your data is being physically stored? Has the company had any recent security breaches?

In short, cloud computing is safer in some ways and less safe in others. Do your homework before trusting your data to the cloud, and use common sense. Don’t trust the cloud with your only copy of priceless photos, and don’t store copies of highly confidential documents there, either. But for redundant copies of other files, enjoy what the cloud has to offer.

Throughout 2011, approximately 3,000 TELUS team members participated in customer first day, an opportunity to experience the “frontlines” for themselves, taking them from their day-to-day roles and job shadow a frontline team member to empower a customer first approach across the organization.

I had the opportunity to visit the Barrie call centre collections department shadowing client account manager John Hill.  His training as an air traffic controller may be why John works through his calls with a sense of calmness that immediately puts his customers at ease.

John has been a client account manager for just over three years as an at home agent.  “I’m really enjoying the balance that working from home offers,” said John.  “With an ailing parent, it gives my family a level of comfort being close to home and allows me to get some personal things done during my breaks.”

Photo: John Hill, Client Account Manager, shown here at his TELUS office desk (thanks for coming into the office John!)

TELUS has implemented an at-home-agent program within many of their call centres across the country.  “It’s important to ensure you also foster team engagement when your team is remote,” says Leigh Nettleship, team manager of the client account team.  “We have a team meeting once per month where everyone comes into the office, to talk about work processes, but also get a chance to interact face-to-face.  We also encourage our team members to participate and to work together as a team in office charity events, food drives, or other volunteering activities.”

“You need to have a personality to work from home and not feel isolated from the social factor of work as well as the self discipline to work on your own,” adds John.  In fact, the at-home-agent program includes an application and rigorous interview process that ensures the agent is a right fit for the program.

My personal experience at the Barrie Call Centre enabled me to see first-hand how the customer first mindset directly impacts our clients.

A big thank you to John, Leigh and the Barrie call centre team for making me feel welcome!

As we wind down the year, it's a fitting time for Telus Talks Business contributors to thank you for reading, sharing and commenting on our posts. We hope you've enjoyed clicking or tapping through our small business-focused content as much as we've had fun writing it.

It's also a good opportunity to look back at the top tech trends in 2011, be it tablets and smartphones, app proliferation, cloud computing, virtualization, 4G/LTE, voice control and the consumer-ization of IT, to name a few that come to mind.

One of the posts I received the most email on this year was on QR codes.

In case you missed my original post, I chatted about the growing phenomenon in Canada and elsewhere, the varied applications for it and what you need to get going.

Ah, QC codes. You see them everywhere: in newspapers, on real estate signs, at museums and on the back of business cards. You flash one before boarding an airplane and scan one when leaving a rock concert.

They're called QR Codes, or "Quick Response" codes, and they're everywhere. If you've spent any time shopping, traveling, socializing or even walking around town these days, you no doubt have seen these mysterious black and white dotted squares – and people scanning them with their smartphones.

Consider them a kind of 2D barcode that has a number of advantages over traditional (lined) barcodes: they can store a lot more information (more than 7,000 numeric characters versus 20); they can be scanned quickly from any angle; and they're designed for consumers and businesses alike.

OK, so what do they do?

Once a QR code is scanned, it can take you directly to a website, launch a related YouTube video, add a name to your contacts list or download a MP3 or other content to your phone.

For example, if you liked reading an article in your local newspaper, you might see a QR code at the end of the piece. When scanned, it opens up a website with more information on the subject in question (such as a full-length interview with the person profiled). In this capacity, QR codes bridge the gap between old media and the online world.

Or your airline can text you a QR code to your phone. Hold it up as a digital boarding pass so it can be scanned as you board the plane. No paper needed.

Walking by a restaurant? Scan the QR code in the window, and it opens up the establishment's menu, hours of operation and perhaps a video message from the owner.

If you're off to a musical, a QR code on the back of your ticket might download a track or two from the official soundtrack.

You get the idea.

There are countless applications for QR codes, all designed to make exchanging information easier than manually typing everything in – and it's much faster, too, as scanning just takes a second or two.

QR codes started in Japan almost two decades ago, and while they've been popular in Asia and parts of Europe for a few years now, they're beginning to catch on in North America now that smartphones are becoming more ubiquitous.

What do I need?

All you need to scan QR codes is a smartphone with a camera (almost all have one) and software that can interpret what the code means and act on it.

In some cases, a QR code reader will be preinstalled on the smartphone, but there are many free ones to download for your smartphone if it's not. For example, there's Barcode Scanner for Android, QR Reader for iPhone, QR Code Scanner Pro for BlackBerry and BeeTagg for Windows Phone 7 and Nokia smartphones. There's also Google Googles, ShopSavvy and QuickMark QR Code Reader.

Some QR code readers will be built into existing apps, too, such as Research in Motion's BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). If you want to add someone to your contact list, scanning their smartphone's QR code is much faster than manually typing in their PIN number.

The future

QR codes are rising in popularity in Canada and the U.S., and for companies, they're an inexpensive way to deliver additional information, media and contact information to customers (or potential customers).

There are many websites that let you create QR codes for free, such as the one here or you can watch videos on how to do it elsewhere.

Another technology is also gaining popularity called NFCs, or Near-Field Communications. Soon, you'll be able to swipe your smartphone on a sensor in order to open up a website, download media or make a secure payment while on the go. Because NFCs are a wireless technology, the advantage over QR codes is you don't need to open a QR app to scan a code with your camera – it's just a quick swipe.

Imagine leaving a movie theatre in the near future and you stop to look at a poster for an upcoming film you're interested in. You might be able to swipe your phone on the poster's frame and a high-definition trailer for the flick will download to your device.

Of course, there is more of an investment to be made as a wireless sensor, or terminal, is required by those who want to use NFCs to get their word out -- not to mention NFCs won't be possible on a newspaper page (QR codes makes more sense here). But expect to hear a lot more about NFCs in 2012 – especially when it comes to making payments on vending machines and at stores.

While viewing Microsoft PowerPoint presentations on an iPad isn't anything new, many of the apps that let you do this aren't very stable, lack animations or are bundled with pricier apps that also let you create presentations (such as Apple's Keynote or Quickoffice Pro HD).

If it's a reliable presentation viewer you need, a new and free app called SlideShark should do the trick.

Brainshark's 15MB app lets you view and show PowerPoint presentations on your iPad -- or to whatever source it's connected to, such as a TV or projector, via the HDMI connector (for iPad 2 users).

While the app works very well, loading the presentation onto the iPad might be an inconvenience for some. You see, you first need to visit slideshark.com on your personal computer and register for a free account. Once this is completed, you'll upload a PowerPoint file (.ppt or .pptx) to your password-protected online account, which gives you up to 100MB of storage in total. After the upload it takes a couple of minutes to convert the slides into an iPad-optimized viewing format, which will then be available on your Internet-connected iPad a minute or so after that.

Once the PowerPoint is on your iPad you can tap to launch it full-screen, slide your finger up from the bottom to see all slides in the presentation (displayed as thumbnails) and tap or swipe to advance. A nine-slide tutorial presentation is already included with the app to teach you how to get the most out of it.

I uploaded two presentations -- one, a 22-slide .pptx file and an older 14-page .ppt deck without any animation -- and both worked like a charm. Uploading, converting and downloading between the PC and iPad took two or three minutes in total, and it looked great on the iPad. Too bad you can't drag and drop files between the tablet and computer via iTunes, as it needs to be formatted for SlideShark first.

At least the recently-updated app lets you tap and hold on PowerPoint files in emails to load them into SlideShark. Alternatively, you can do this by tapping the arrow+rectangle button in cloud storage services like iCloud, Dropbox or Box -- or by clicking the "Open in" button in the top right corner when viewing a PowerPoint in the native iPad viewer.

While SlideShark preserves animations, fonts, graphics and colours -- something you don't often find in other presentation viewers for the iPad -- not all PowerPoint features are supported, such as embedded videos, slide transitions and hyperlinks. Or yet, anyway.

Shortcomings aside, SlideShark is a free and powerful tool for those who want a seamless way to view and share PowerPoint presentation on their iPad.

Many on-the-go iPad users have discovered the touch screen tablet can be an effective tool for jotting down notes, sketching images and fleshing out ideas.

Plus, the super-thin device is easy to tote around as it's just over a pound, it turns on right away and can last more than 10 hours between charges.

Whether it's used in a boardroom, classroom or family room, note-taking apps are popular downloads from the iTunes App Store, and can be used with a fingertip, optional stylus pen, virtual keyboard or external keyboard.

If you're in the market for affordable note-taking apps with powerful features, look no further than these two picks.

PhatPad

While many offer the same core features, a new note-taking app called PhatPad ($4.99) includes handwriting recognition technology that can transcribe your "chicken scratch" into digital text.

And it works well, too. On the blank canvas, simply tap the pencil icon, use your fingertip or stylus pen to print on the screen. And it supports cursive writing, too. When you're done you can highlight the text and select "Convert to Text." Within a second or so you'll see the words as text, which you can then send as an e-mail, archive, export to PDF, print or send to a cloud service (such as Google Docs, Dropbox or Evernote).

Once your words are displayed as text, you'll see lined yellow "paper" at the bottom of the screen to add or edit your text with more handwriting. If you make a mistake while handwriting you can tap the "undo" button or enable an "erase" gesture from the options menu. It took me awhile to find out how to pull up a virtual keyboard as it's not on by default, but I found it helped edit converted text faster than handwriting. Or you can use the keyboard with this app instead of handwriting altogether, of course.

Other features found in PhatPad include: multiple pen colours, tip widths and opaqueness options (ideal for drawing); the ability to import photos or text from other sources; shortcuts that can help you draw shapes (circles, squares, triangles) or organize content into grids; and a voice memo recording feature that lets you add audio to any note you create.

The app also has a presentation mode, so you can record actions -- such as drawing a million-dollar idea and explaining what you're doing verbally -- and then share later on.

Once connected to a computer via USB cable, you can also drag and drop notes to and from the iPad inside of iTunes. Notes are automatically saved as PDF files. There is no support for iCloud at this time, but there are the aforementioned services and you can also share via Wi-Fi to compatible devices in the same wireless network.

All your notes are organized well inside the app, listed alphabetically or by date, plus you can search for keywords using the small window.

While $5 is a bit pricey for a note-taking app, PhatPad is an ideal purchase for those who still like to write instead of type, as it successfully fuses the old "paper and pen" experience with the digital age.

Knowtes

Some might argue the iPad is better at consuming media rather than creating content -- but perhaps they just haven't found the right apps?

Just ask the more than a million businesspersons, students and journalists who've downloaded Knowtes, a powerful note-taking tool ($1.99) that can be used to write research papers, blog posts or office memos.

On the surface, Knowtes (pro­nounced "notes") looks like a blank digital canvas in which to write or draw your ideas. An onscreen keyboard glides out from the bottom of the screen, which can be used in portrait or landscape mode (or with an external keyboard). As with other word processors, you can change font type, size and colour, and there's a counter for characters, words and number of lines.

At any time you can also tap the Sketch button to use one of four coloured markers with your fin­gertip on the white screen -- or import a photo to sketch on top of it, if desired. Each new document you create can be seen as a yellow sticky note at the bottom of the screen with the date and/or name of the document. Need to find a note quickly? Use search words, such as "new app idea," in the small window to pull up the relevant notes.

So far, these features might not appear that different than other note-taking apps but this tool has a lot more going for it.

For one, you can pull up a built-in web browser on the lower half of the screen and copy-and-paste content or links onto your canvas. And the formatting is automatically stripped out for your convenience. Or for those who like to multitask, you can simultaneously read news, play a game of Solitaire or check your Facebook wall while crank­ing out an essay. The brows­er lets you add bookmarks, save web pages to a reading list (to view offline) and you can annotate websites with the drawing tool.

Knowtes also offers a built-in language converter via Google Trans­late, supporting more than 28 languages. Want to convert a German website into English or an English document into Spanish? The conversion is fast and easy to use, but an Internet connection is required for this feature.

Finally, this free app supports multiple file types, including .epub, .pdf, .ppt, .doc, rtf, .pages, .zip, .rar, .xls, .numbers and even media (such as .avi video files). Speaking of files, you can export your documents via email, in iTunes (drag-and-drop functionality) or sync with various cloud services and other websites, including Evernote, In­stapaper, Google Read­er, Twitter, Facebook and others. Coming in the next update is the ability to save and share your document as a PDF and support to open documents in other apps (such as Dropbox).

There's not much to complain about with this feature-rich app, so iPad owners should make a mental "knowte" to download this from the App Store.