Do you spend too many hours sitting in front of a computer screen?  If so, I may have found the cure:  a treadmill computer desk.

Sitting, as it turns out, is an extremely unhealthy activity.  Even if you workout or exercise for the recommended 30 minutes a day, sitting for extended periods of time leads to changes in the way your body breaks down fat; fat can build up in your bloodstream and organs leading to overall unhealthfulness and weight gain.  Basically, our bodies were built to move and when we sit in front of our computers all day, our bodies don’t function properly.

New York Times physical education columnist Gretchen Reynolds recommends in her book, The First 20 Minutes, that workers stuck behind a desk stand up for at least two minutes out of every twenty to help counteract the harmful effects of sitting.  Stand up when you’re reading something that’s not on the computer or when you’re talking on the phone.  Walk around two to three times an hour if you can.

I like Ms. Reynolds’ suggestions, but I may have an even better one: put your computer on a treadmill.  The Mayo Clinic’s Dr. James Levine did just that and found that people who walked one mile an hour during their eight-hour work days burned an extra 100 calories a day compared to their sedentary counterparts.  And, according to Dr. Levine, most people are able to type or do other computer work while they walk. Imagine getting your work done while burning a few extra calories and maintaining fitness.

I spend a lot of hours on the computer so I like the idea of walking while working. It’s possible to purchase a treadmill desk, but it’s also possible to asssemble one yourself if you’re handy with tools.

If you use one or you’ve built one, I’d love to hear your comments.

You probably don’t realize it, but when you buy software, you don’t really buy it.  What you get with software is more like a lease (well, a license actually) that lets you use the software under certain conditions and sometimes only for a set period of time. That End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) you never read when you’re installing the software spells out the details of the license you’re getting.

If your small business is using more than one computer, you need a system for monitoring the software licenses you own.  Here are some of the things you should be keeping track of:

• Is every piece of software legal and running on an unexpired license? (By legal, I mean, do you have a license, is the license current, and are you using the software according to the stipulations of the license?  If, for example the license allows the software to be installed on only one computer, but you’ve installed it on every computer in the office, you’re violating copyright laws and the software isn’t legal.)

• Are all software disks, licensing agreements, and product keys accounted for and stored someplace where you can find them if you need them?

• Do you know when your various software licenses expire?

• Do you own licenses for software you’re no longer using? (It’s not uncommon for businesses with many computers to have gotten rid of the computer that used a particular software program or to have stopped using the software, but still be paying for the license without realizing it.)

• Does everyone who works for you know that they’re not to download or install any software or apps onto company computers without your approval (or the approval of whomever you designate) and that all receipts, disks, EULAs, and product keys are to be saved and stored in a central location?

If you have an IT person, he or she has probably already created some kind of software asset management system for your business.  But in the absence of an IT professional, you or someone you designate should be responsible for this.  If you’re a small operation, it’s not likely that some big software company will ever come after you over licensing agreement violations.  Still, it’s not good business to knowingly put your operation at risk by failing to observe copyright laws.

There are a number of software packages that can help you maintain your software license records, including some that can check all of your computers and report to you the status of all your software.  In addition, Microsoft offers an excellent website and free online tutorials on how to start and maintain a software asset management program.  Their lessons and suggestions center around Microsoft products, but the software asset management practices they teach are applicable to any platform and any software.

Internet experts are watching with interest as the U.S. Justice Department proceeds with the prosecution of file hosting and sharing service Megaupload. The popular site reportedly had over 180,000,000 registered users and some 50 million visits a day.  The criminal complaint against the company alleges, among other things, that Megaupload reproduced copyrighted material like films, music, e-books, and videogames, and sold that material to Megaupload users.  Company officials have been arrested and the company’s websites have been shut down.

Part of Megaupload’s business included file sharing and storage, and some of its customers used the service legally to store their own content.  In other words, they purchased cloud computing services from Megaupload.  Since the shuttering of the company’s websites, those customers have had no way to access their data.   Furthermore, the Justice Department had given the OK for Megaupload’s servers to be scrubbed and its content to be erased, meaning its cloud computing customers could lose their data permanently.  As of this writing, the U.S. Justice Department has agreed to a two-week wait to consider the ramifications of erasing all content from Megaupload’s servers.  It’s clear, however, that the company’s cloud computing customers are in a quandary.

The part that’s thought provoking for small business owners is this:  What would happen to your business if you lost access to data stored in the cloud?  Certainly, most businesses complete their due diligence before agreeing to store important company information on servers that belong to someone else.  Yet no one can predict the future, and no one can know for sure that a company you trust today won’t be out of business tomorrow.   Remember Lehman Brothers or Enron?

So, the lesson here is to know who you’re doing with and to be certain you understand the dangers inherent in using cloud services.  Cloud computing offers great advantages—but it also has its risks.

These days there’s a great deal of buzz about cloud computing and the experts are saying it’s the next big thing.  But what is cloud computing and is it right for your business?

Cloud computing lets your business use software that’s on the Internet rather than requiring you to purchase and install software onto your own computer.  For a good analogy, think about the difference between owning vs. renting your home.

If you are currently using Microsoft Office, you probably pay for and install the software onto each computer you own.  Or, if you run a small office, your computers may be networked with software available via your server.  Either way, you pay for the software and you own it. That means you have the responsibility of installing it, upgrading it, and keeping it running.  You may even require the services of an IT person to set up and manage a network so everyone on your team can use the software and work together.

Cloud computing is more like renting.  You’ll pay a monthly fee to access the software you need over the Internet.  You’ll never have to worry about installing or upgrading software, and you’ll be able to use the software from any computer anywhere in the world.   You’ll be able to collaborate on projects easily by simply giving others on your team access to your files. And instead of an IT consultant, it’s likely you’ll only need a fast, reliable Internet connection.  But paying every month means that, long term, you’ll probably pay more for software than if you simply buy it.

Some observers note that cloud-based software is often less robust than the software you would install on your computer—that is, it may have fewer features and be less customizable.  That will probably change as the popularity of cloud services grows.  Also, if you work in a specialized field, there may not be cloud-based software that meets your needs.

On the other hand, new businesses find that cloud-based software can lower their start-up costs (monthly fees are often based on number of users or usage volume).  Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 offer cloud-based conferencing, instant messaging, word-processing and spreadsheet software, along with e-mail services and calendar sharing that makes it easy for any business to get started. Cloud-based services like Ring Central give small businesses the advantages of a professional telephone system without the large upfront equipment costs.

So, is cloud computing right for your business?  It’s certainly worth investigating.

It’s been way too long since I’ve posted an article here.  Between the busy-ness of the days leading up to the holidays, and the time I took off after Christmas, my blog has suffered.

Now that I’m back at work, I’m challenged to find an appropriate topic.  But it shouldn’t be that way because there are so may potential topics to write about.  Here are 10 great ideas for what you might write about when you’re in need of a topic for your small business blog.

1. Write about new products or processes you can offer your customers.
2. Share a customer case study or tell about how you solved a problem for a customer.
3. Have you recently given a speech or made a presentation?  Let your readers know about it.  Embed a copy of your presentation if that’s appropriate.
4. Have you found success with a new piece of equipment or a recently installed app?  Describe what you’re using, why you chose it, and how it works for you.
5. Failures are OK, too.  Did you try something that didn’t work?  Tell about what happened and what you learned.
6. Write about your typical workday.  If you’re a solo entrepreneur, describe how you juggle your multiple responsibilities.  Include pictures for added interest.
7. Many small businesses face challenges when it comes to hiring employees or vetting contractors.  How do you handle these challenges?
8. What about funding?  Have you successfully gotten a business loan or found an investor?  How did the process go?  What can you share with others?
9. How do you run a business and manage family and household responsibilities?  How do you find an appropriate balance between your work life and your personal life?
10. How does your business use social media? What works for you?  Are you getting a good return on the time you spend?

If all else fails, you can always write a post that lists possible ideas for other bloggers!

Entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for ways to market themselves and their business.  One excellent way to do that is with speaking engagements.  Here are some tips on how to get started.

Develop Your Speaker Profile.  There are lots of speakers out there.  Think about what makes you unique.  What is your special expertise?  What unusual insight or perspective do you have?  Put these ideas in writing (see Speaker Page below) and use them to create speeches that only you could deliver.

Practice.  Begin offering your speaking services to schools, local groups, and non-profits.  At first, you’ll probably speak for free, but that’s OK.  You want the practice and the exposure.  Speak whenever and wherever you get the opportunity.

Create a Speaker Page.  Add a “Speaker Page” to your blog that describes your speaking topics.  Also create a hardcopy page that you can give or mail to those who might be interested in having you speak.  In addition to your speaking topics, your Speaker Page should include a brief bio, a recent photo, testimonials, and information about your most recent speaking engagements.  If you’re just starting out, you won’t have all of this, but once you start speaking, you’ll be able to update your Speaker Page with current information.

Market Your Expertise.  Encourage people to see you as an expert.  Write articles for magazines.  Write guest posts on other people’s blogs.  Send out press releases and get yourself interviewed on radio and television. Write a book.  Never miss an opportunity to earn a professional designation or special certification in your industry.

Use Social Media.  Video yourself delivering your speeches and post excerpts to YouTube.  Use your blog posts to introduce people to the message you deliver in your speeches.  Employ Twitter and Facebook strategically to bring more eyeballs to your blog and your Speaker Page.

Deliver Speeches that Offer Value.  When you do get a speaking gig, make sure you’re familiar with your audience.  Do enough research to know what their interests and issues are, then deliver a speech that gives them something they can use:  specific action items they can employ in their work and their lives.

Charge a Fee.  If your presentation is good and your content is valuable, you can request a fee to speak.  How much you can charge will depend on the industry, the audience, and how much of an expert you are perceived to be.  Make it your goal to become known as a leading expert in the field.  When that happens, speaking will help build your business as well as provide an additional source of income.

© Robert Lehmann - Fotolia.com

It used to be that in order to publish a book, you had to find a publisher who was willing to put your name in print.  But that’s not true any more.  Anyone can publish a book online.

E-books are easy to create and easy to publish.  If you can write, you can publish an e-book that will help you establish your credibility and market yourself.  Your e-book may even generate revenue—an extra bonus!

Here’s a rundown of the major e-book publishers.

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing is probably the most popular e-book seller.  Books published this way are available for purchase from the Kindle store online, making them available to anyone who has a Kindle and anyone who has the free Kindle app on their iPad, iPhone, Mac, PC, Android, or Blackberry device.  Titles are searchable on Amazon.com and authors can earn up to 70% in royalties on each book purchased.

Barnes and Noble’s PubIt lets you sell your e-book for the Nook, which many e-reader fans prefer over the Kindle. Barnes and Noble will sell your fiction or non-fiction book, your article, poetry, or other literary work, and will pay you royalties of up to 65%.  The process is easy, and using Barnes and Noble gives you the added caché of selling through a “real” bookstore–although your e-book will only be available digitally, not on bookstore shelves.

Smashwords will distribute your book to e-book sellers all over the world, including the Apple iBookstore, the Sony Reader Bookstore, Barnes and Noble, independent bookstores, Smashwords’ own catalog, and many more.  You upload your manuscript once and they take care of distributing it to the various e-book retailers, and making it accessible via mobile phone apps.  Buyers who purchase your e-book will have access to it in multiple formats and will be able to read it on almost any device. In return, Smashwords gets to keep a portion of your royalties.

Lulu.com lets you choose to publish a “real” book or an e-book.  Their services include everything from editing and ghostwriting, to book cover design and book distribution.  They can even convert your already existing book into an e-book.  Lulu.com distributes e-books to Apple’s iBookstore, and makes them available for sale on its own Lulu Marketplace.  All e-books are created in the ePub format, which makes them accessible on most e-readers and computers.

Fast Pencil also offers gives you the choice of a real book or an e-book.  It’s free to get started and your print book is only produced on demand.  E-books are made available to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle, iPad, Sony Reader and more.  Fast Pencil lets you do it all yourself, or you can take advantage of their many publishing services.

You’re the expert. Use an online e-book service to let people know what you know.

The world has lost a technological genius whose creations have touched all of our lives.  Steve Jobs lost his battle with cancer and died yesterday, leaving behind a rich legacy of innovation and business skill.

The hallmark of Steve’s work was simplicity:  technology that was easy—even fun—to use.  Apple products have always been easy to use.  That’s why each new Apple invention catches on in such a big way.  That’s also why other companies are always scrambling to copy the features of Apple products and incorporate them into their own designs.

I’ve tried to think of all the things we all use or appreciate or consume that originated with Steve Jobs or Apple.  This is probably only a partial list:

• the iPad (and the tablet computers that are copying it)
• the iPhone (and the current generation of smartphones that have been designed to be like it)
• iPhone and iPad apps:  Small specialized pieces of software, often inexpensive, that run on your computer or phone.
• the iPod: that device that lets you carry all of your music in your pocket.
• iTunes:  the software that lets you backup, arrange, and play your music on your computer.
• the iTunes Store: the online shopping outlet that has revived the failing music industry and made it easy for all of us to get music and other content for our iPods.
• the App Store: that subset of the iTunes store that is slowly changing the way we purchase software.
• the Apple Store:  a computer store that’s fun to visit because you can play with new products, take classes, and get help when you need it.
• the iMac: those candy-colored, translucent computers that children used in school and that paved the way for all of us to use the Internet as part of our everyday computing experience.
• Computer animation in movies: As CEO of Pixar, Jobs brought to fruition Toy Story in 1995, the first full-length, feature film made completely on computers.  Toy Story was a financial success, Woody and Buzz Lightyear have gone on to star in other films, and computer animation is now pretty standard stuff in movies.
• the Graphical User Interface (GUI):  Today all popular computer operating systems use icons to represent files, and users click on those icons to move open, copy and moves files around.  Apple introduced the GUI in 1984 when it unveiled its Macintosh line of computers.  Before that, computer users had to learn difficult-to-master commands–almost like programming a computer–in order to open, save and copy files.  The GUI was such an obvious improvement that Microsoft copied it and started using it in its operating systems.
• the mouse:  along with the GUI came the mouse.  It was new when Steve Jobs demonstrated it in 1984; today it, or its offspring the trackpad, is a standard feature of desktop and laptop computers.
• the first small personal computer:  that Macintosh was also the first compact personal computer.  Before that, personal computers were kind of big and awkward.
• the first personal computer: In 1977, Jobs’ fledgling company introduced the Apple II, the first commercially- available personal computer, and the first computer with color graphics.

Steve Jobs, you have influenced all of our lives, and we will miss you.

Not too long ago, we wrote about Google Places as one of the Ten Best Google Tools for Small Business.  But recently, scammers have figured out how to use Google Places in harmful ways.

Google Places is the 21st century answer to the Yellow Pages because it lets entrepreneurs list their businesses where consumers are searching—on Google. Google Places listings can include photos, menus, product spec sheets–whatever entrepreneurs want customers to know.   And, of course, there are maps and directions for businesses that serve walk-in customers.

But Google Places differs from the Yellow Pages in a very significant way:  visitors can comment on your business.  They can write reviews, which can be either positive or negative, and they can indicate when a business is no longer in existence.

Google monitors reviews for inappropriate content and removes those that violate the Google Places Content Policy.  But it allows positive as well as negative reviews to stay, as long as they fit the content policy guidelines.

Negative comments can hurt your business, but at least Google offers a way for you as owner to contact the reviewer to discuss the situation and work things out.  More insidious is the feature that allows reviewers to mark a business as closed.

Google offers this feature as a convenience.  Businesses that are defunct rarely bother to remove their listings, so Google allows visitors to do it.  If visitors discover a business that’s no longer in existence, they can rate it “closed” on the Google Places listing.  If enough visitors rate the business closed, Google Places shows it as “permanently closed.”

The problem is:  more and more thriving businesses have begun to show up on Google Places as permanently closed.  Often, the owners of these businesses are completely unaware.

Google isn’t sure why there’s been an increase in businesses being rated closed that really aren’t.  It’s possible that somehow the word has gotten out that it’s an easy thing to do and unscrupulous competitors are using the system to their advantage.  In any event, Google has announced that it will make changes to Google Places so it can’t be so easily used for malicious purposes.  That’s good news for small business owners.

In the meantime, it’s probably a good idea to check your Google Places listing on a regular basis.

Need a logo or a new website design?  Need someone to write the copy for your online prospectus or test your new app?  Need a special video or presentation for a client?  The Internet gives you access to talent from all over the world and “crowdsourcing” guarantees you’ll have a large number of prospective contractors to choose from.

Many small businesses use crowdsourcing to find contractors. The theory behind it is that the more people who review your project or submit bids to your RFP, the more likely you are to get a high-quality outcome.  In other words, put your RFP on the Internet and the “crowd” of Internet users will come to your aid.

There are crowdsourcing sites for logo design, crowdsourcing sites to help you choose a company name, crowdsourcing sites to help you test your website for security and usability, even crowdsourcing sites to help you find investors.

For example, on crowdSpring, a well-known site for crowdsourcing logo designs and other graphic art, you specify what you need and how much you’re willing to pay, and the dozens of graphic artists on the site submit their designs. You select the one that’s right for you.

At uTest, you pay a fee based on the level of testing you need, and testers—actual people all over the world—go to work using your website or mobile app, testing it for ease of use, software glitches, security weaknesses, and other problems you’d rather avoid in advance.

VenCorps, a crowdsourcing venture capital firm, awards $25,000 to one start-up each month based on votes the company receives from its “crowd” of entrepreneurs, attorneys, accountants, professors, technology experts, and others.

Another route for finding help is to use sites that bring employers and contractors together.  Sites like oDesk and Elance let you choose and hire independent contractors.  Find contractors to design your website or create videos or custom graphic art work.  Hire a virtual assistant or someone to handle your customer service requests.

On these contractor sites, you post an RFP and prospective contractors from all over the world bid on it. You review bids, interview prospective contractors and select the one whose price and proposal are most in line with your needs.  oDesk makes the process particularly easy because the contractor does the work and oDesk sees that they get paid and handles all the tax reporting paperwork.

Internet based hiring and outscoursing is not without it’s challenges, however.   Some find crowdsourcing unethical—especially those sites that require prospective contractors to bid by submitting a finished project.  On those sites, hundreds of people complete the entire job but only one will get paid.  And when it comes to hiring a contractor over the Internet, it can sometimes be tough knowing for sure that the contractor actually has the credentials he or she claims to have.

All this being said, however, the “crowd” can make it easy for a small business to get extra help or complete projects on a budget.