Member Blog Posts in "outsourcing"

Exploring a Sea of Business Software Options

posted on March 9, 2010

To find software that meets YOUR unique business needs (don't settle for less), below are a few common software search (aka Solution Exploration) approaches: (I’ll expand on solution exploring, and list additional steps and resources in later posts) Internet searches Inquire with like-kind businesses Submit online form requests for information (possibly in the form of an RFI) Trade publications Word-of-mouth referrals (often your Trusted Advisor, CPA) Direct source – i.e. Read more »

Author: Keith German

Find Software, Tips for Buyers | Multi-part Series: Needs Analysis

posted on February 17, 2010

Internal Discovery: Needs Analysis First, discovery is both internal and external. Unfortunately, many businesses short-cut the internal work and open themselves up to vendors much too early. Two common reasons for this are – “we’re just fact finding” and “we just don’t know what questions to ask or even where to begin looking.” This direct contact with product vendors, however, means marketing packets, wordy emails, relentless phone calls, demos, and much more – they know who you are and have entered you into their database. Read more »

Author: Keith German

Case Study – Solopreneur considering CRM software

posted on February 4, 2010

What happens when you make it public that your business is looking for software? CASE STUDY I recently came across one of those “I’m looking for…any suggestions?” inquiries from a solopreneur considering CRM software (direct source reference intentionally omitted). Instead, I’ve pasted below selective parts of the originating inquiry and then in my following analysis I’ve included some handpicked comments that were given in response. Read more »

Author: Keith German

So You Want To Be on the Google Map: Step# 1 in a Series

posted on January 28, 2010

Every Business Owner needs to understand the power of Google. One of the most powerful Google tools right now is the Google Business Listing.Have you noticed that when you type in a search query for anything in Google, Yahoo or Bing, a Map with little push-pins pop’s up?In Google – that is the Google Map, or 7-Pack. It’s a pretty powerful place to be.The Google 7-Pack not only shows up above the “organic” or “natural” search results, but it has a higher click rate than the Google Adwords (Ad’s surrounding it). Read more »

Author: TechJane

Researching & Selecting Business Software

posted on January 26, 2010

Web 2.0 – Marketing 2.0 – Sales 2.0 – Social Media craze – our first black President – women succeeding in business leadership roles that used to be “glass ceilings” – and so on. We clearly live in a progressive generation. Read more »

Author: Keith German

To Email Market or Not to Email Market?

posted on January 18, 2010

My focus this week is on email marketing. I have a new blog posting about it:We all get tons of email newsletters in our inboxes these days, leading some business owners to think that email marketing is a nuisance and has no place in their own marketing campaign. Is that the best way to think about it? Or is that throwing out the baby with the bath water? To read the full blog, go to http://outres.net/blog/?p=21 Read more »

Author: Abigail Mahnke

What Is It About Those Darn Financial Books?

posted on January 11, 2010

I posted a new blog on my website today about bookkeeping. You can read that article here:It’s either comical or it’s tragic. Small business owners’ financial books are often a disaster. Can you relate to this? Does the mere thought of entering transactions, paying bills, or running a P&L statement give you shingles? Since I enjoy bookkeeping, I can’t relate to this (which probably makes me a geek) but there’s no question I’m in the minority. So what’s up with this? [Read full article.]

Author: Abigail Mahnke

Top 20 Responses from Programmers and Support Techs to Software Issues

posted on January 5, 2010

First things first…Happy New Year! I wish you ALL much prosperity in 2010. For my first blog post in 2010 I decided to lighten things up a bit. We software folks get so frustrated when things don’t work as they should. Read more »

Author: Keith German

Software Buying and Selling Takes Time

posted on December 30, 2009

…and lots of it, especially when using the “I can do this on top of everything else” approach. You’re right, you can. In fact, it may all turn out just fine in the end. Read more »

Author: Keith German

It's Tax Season, Are Your Investments In Order?

posted on December 10, 2009

Around tax time, your attention is particularly focused on your finances and assets.  The current status of the economy can be unsettling and knowing how you can be prepared has become very important.  As you start working on your taxes, you’ll probably be reminded of some of the milestones that occurred during the previous year. Did you recently move?  Has your relationship status changed?  Did you have a baby?  Are you now taking care of your parents?  Did you get a raise at work or change jobs? If any of these milestones have occurred in the Read more »

Author: S. Todd Harris