Twitter Security Alert! Some Problems Still Not Fixed!
Published August 26, 2009 | 
As recent as yesterday it has been made evident that Twitter still has some significant Security issues that haven’t been resolved to date, and everyone should be made aware of the possibility of security breaches with your account(s) if you make use of the Twitter application directly. So until these issues are addressed and satisfactorily resolved you should be sure to unfollow people you don’t trust, or use a 3rd party application, such as TweetDeck or Tweetlater for your Twitter needs, at least until the Security issues are resolved.
Mashable – Twitter Security Exploit Hasn’t Been Fixed Yet
TechCrunch – Massive Twitter Security Problem Not Resolved Just Yet
The Global Home-Based Business Phenomena
Published August 25, 2009 | 
There has been a business phenomena quietly taking place the past 10 years: home-based businesses, with approximately 14.2 million U.S. businesses, and several million more across the global economy being run from home, why? Because of the availability of cutting-edge technology, entrepreneurs are realizing they don’t have to sacrifice family and productivity to profits in the process of successfully operating a business, and caught up in the downsizing forced by the current global recession, many have been able to recognize opportunities created by the same recession.
The negative regards attached to home-based businesses for years have disappeared, and in many states, home-based business is now considered legitimate & respectable, with the greatest change in home-based businesses the past decade being the broad range of business choice, and location hasn’t put a limit on the number choices, as a large variety of businesses, from all types of industries, can be run successfully from home.
Starting a home-based business can be a complicated undertaking and the following checklist covers the most important points that you will need to consider, and will help you stay focused as you try and get your business off the ground.
1. Create a business plan. This is the most important thing you can do before you start your business, and it can’t be emphasized enough that even if you are the only one that will ever read it, it is critically important to plan out your business in a clear, concise and well thought-out business plan including the timeline of important milestones you hope to accomplish, and many of the following checklist items will be included in your business plan.
2. Establish your business entity. You will need to decide if you want to run your business as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation, and be sure to take into consideration your personal assets situation and discuss your options with a professional before deciding which type of legal business structure is right for you.
3. Get your sales tax certificate. Make sure you are in compliance with your state’s laws and get a sales tax certificate, which is also important if you want to receive special pricing from suppliers.
4. Check with your local zoning commission. You do not want your business shut down prematurely due to zoning laws you need to make sure you can legally run your business from your home before you put in too much time and effort.
5. Purchase insurance. Determine what kind of insurance you need, and purchase this before you actually open your new business, as commercial liability issues are not something to taken lightly.
6. Organize your office. A well-organized office space leads to a successful business, so make sure that your office is in a place in your home where you will be able to focus on running your business with minimal distractions.
7. Purchase your equipment. Make sure that you purchase any required office equipment ahead of time.
8. Set up your domain name and website, any social networking platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), or eBay seller account, before you start your business. You will need to purchase a domain name and set up your website so that it is ready to go live when you open for business, and by planning your social media market strategy concurrently with starting your business, you will be able to include your domain name and social networking platforms on your promotional material.
9. Make your schedule. Even if you do not want to work 9 to 5, it is critical for you to create a schedule that follows somewhat normal business hours to ensure that your customers can reach you, since they may not be aware that your business is in your basement and you have to get your kids to soccer practice.
10. Organize your inventory. If you plan on stocking merchandise in your home, you will need to make sure it is well-organized to facilitate a quick turnaround time, make sure that they are easily accessible and free from dirt and debris, and if you are a smoker, make sure you store your inventory in a smoke-free area.
Finally, the fact that you operate your business out of your home doesn’t set limits on the amount of success you can reach, as only you will be the greatest influence on the levels of success you ultimately achieve, so be sure and allow for business growth as a component of the financial projections contained in your business plan, along with a thorough analysis of your target market, and you will greatly increase your chances of Entrepreneurial success as the global economy starts the long process of recovery.
Twitter is Going Commercial This Year!
Published August 21, 2009 | 
When will Twitter introduce a business model for producing revenue has been a topic of conversation and speculation for quite some time, after all, it has been able to raise $55 Million in equity capital to date with no revenue model in place yet.
Twitter has started the process of answering the speculative questions by announcing that it plans to roll out commercial accounts this year, which businesses will be able to access more in depth and detailed analytics, plus have their accounts designated “certified accounts,” which only a few select celebrity type accounts are able to currently use, and additional APIs for designed for business and commercial oriented information might be in the works for release at a later date, a sign that Twitter is listening closely to its users, both individuals and now businesses.
Digital Beat – Twitter to Roll out Commercial Accounts this Year
Digital Beat – Hints of Many Business Models in Twitter Case Studies
The Big Deal About Social Media: Over 500 Million Users
Published August 21, 2009 | 
If you are an Entrepreneur in business, or getting ready to start your business and still wondering what the big deal about social media is, and why you should consider using it as part of your marketing strategies, you have to look first at who your target market is, and determine how to most effectively and with the least cost, get your message in front of them.
In today’s global market, social media technology has revolutionized how people communicate with each other, and created a “virtual conversation” that takes place 24 hours a day across multiple platforms designed for social networking and sharing information including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube to name a few, and as with any target market, the more you know and learn about the trends, tendencies and habits of the market, the more focus and precision you can bring to both your message and delivery mechanisms and channels.
Before deciding if you need to integrate social media technology into your businesses marketing strategies, you need to determine the market demographics of the social media users, along with what they’re doing and what they’re going to do. Keep in mind while you are gathering information to help you make your decision, that you can learn a lot about your target market by listening to the 
“virtual conversation” taking place, and remember the single most important factor in reaching your market with the most effective message is your ability to “listen and learn,” and what better way to obtain real-time information that used to be cost prohibitive to all but the largest companies, than through a social media presence that is “free” in comparison.
Not only will you learn vital information about the market and what it is “thinking” at any given time, but you will learn what it “thinks” about your business, both good and bad, and here are some statistics to consider:
Worldwide Internet users: 1.2 Billion
Worldwide social networking site users: 506 Million
% of Internet users registered on at least one social networking site: 42%
Worldwide online advertising spending: $40 Billion
2008 Worldwide social networking advertising spending: $2.0 Billion
2009 Worldwide social networking advertising spending: $2.4 Billion
% of online advertising dollars spent on social networking sites: 6.00%
Advertising spending has started to increase as businesses increase awareness of the benefits from developing and maintaining a social networking presence.
Research Results: They are young and affluent and active consumers
Twitter vs. Facebook! Real-time Search Battle is On!
Published August 17, 2009 | 
The real-time search engine that Twitter offers became reality when Twitter completed the acquisition of Summize (search engine for tweets), after which Twitter launched Twitter Search), thus started the real-time search revolution.
Since then of course, real-time search has exploded on the scene with Twitter trending topics becoming an invaluable tool available to Twitter Nation for tracking the pulse of the world specific to major events.
No rivals (i.e. Facebook, etc.) have been able to match Twitter with real-time search capabilities, until earlier this month when Facebook launched its real-time search engine, which most certainly changes the real-time search landscape (tracks photos, notes, videos, and more), especially with Facebook’s recent acquisition of FriendFeed, but to what degree will the market landscape be changed and what new tricks might Twitter have up its sleeve to maintain the leadership position it has staked out, considering there is very little room for mistakes, and absolutely no room for second chances with this Entrepreneurial strategy for the global market.
It will be interesting to watch the real-time search battle unfold after considering what each brings to the competition (Twitter vs. Facebook), and see which platform eventually comes out on top, knowing that the real winners ultimately are the millions of members and users that rely heavily on one or both platforms as part of their Social Media Optimization strategies, and who knows what other tools Facebook is developing for release in the near future as part of its strategies for market dominance.