The Wizards of Armageddon set up shop in Silicon Valley

 The Research and Development Corporation (RAND) has helped the U.S. think through some of the toughest scientific and regulatory challenges since the 1940s. This year, the think tank is opening its first office in the SF Bay Area. It’s positioning itself to weigh in on some of Silicon Valley’s largest research projects, like autonomous vehicles, drones, AI, cybersecurity and… Read More

IRS Piloting Program for Virtual Appeals

 

As part of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights posted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), taxpayers, including small businesses, have the ability to appeal and resolve any disagreement you might have with the IRS. To simplify the appeals process, the agency just announced a new web-based virtual conference option you can use from anywhere.

One of the difficulties for small businesses (or for anyone filing for an appeal) is the limited number of IRS offices with appeals officers. Even though you can meet over the phone with an appeals officer, many people like face-to-face interactions.

IRS Virtual Appeals Service

If there is not an appeals officer in your location, you either have to settle for a phone meeting or travel to another city. As part of a pilot program, the web-based virtual conference platform will launch on Aug. 1, 2017. After the pilot, the IRS will evaluate the outcome, which will include customer satisfaction with the technology before implementation.

For businesses and individuals looking to appeal an IRS decision, the technology will save time and money. All you need is an internet connection and you can initiate a web-based virtual conference. This is especially useful for taxpayers in remote locations or places where appeal officers are not available.

According to the IRS, there are more than 100,000 appeals being filed each year. So what is an appeal?

The appeals office is separate from departments investigating or auditing tax returns. An impartial officer settles the dispute on matters such as disallowing a deduction. You can have an attorney or CPA represent you, or you can do it yourself.

If it all works out according to plan, IRS Chief of Appeals Donna Hansberry, said, “In the future, the technology may give taxpayers greater options in engaging with Appeals and could allow us the flexibility to serve taxpayers virtually from any location using mobile devices or computers.”

IRS Building Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "IRS Piloting Program for Virtual Appeals" was first published on Small Business Trends

Lost My Name, the tech-driven kids book publisher, raises $8.5M and partners with Roald Dahl Estate

 Lost My Name, the London-based startup that uses tech to create and publish personalised story books for children, has raised $8.5 million in Series B funding. It is also revealing an upcoming tie-in with the Roald Dahl Estate, owners of IP such as Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Read More

Spotify preps to go public with 60M subscribers, outpacing Apple

 Spotify’s singular focus on music sees it adding subscribers faster than the iPhone company with a streaming app on the side. Spotify has added 20 million paid subscribers in under a year, while it’s taken Apple Music over a year and a half to make that progress. Spotify now has 60 million subscribers, compared to Apple Music’s 27 million as of June. Spotify’s ability… Read More

GoDaddy Launches Premium WordPress Support for Small Business Sites and Administrators

Internet domain registrar and web hosting company GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE:GDDY) is introducing WordPress Premium Support. The new customer support option gives small businesses and individuals the ability to contact one of over 40 on-call WordPress developers and GoDaddy’s best-in-class customer support team. This formidable pool of resources is available anytime site owners need help managing and optimizing their websites.

According to the Scottsdale, Arizona-based web hosting service provider, the new support offering will help small business site administrators and managers too. The goal is to help small business owners maintain high-quality WordPress websites and boost their online presence more easily and effectively than ever before.

GoDaddy WordPress Premium Support to Boost Small Business Online Presence

One of the more critical things small businesses need today is to bolster their online presence. Not only will this increase your brand’s reputation, but also establish you as an authority in your industry and help to attract more customers.  GoDaddy says its new support offering, dubbed WP Premium Support, sets itself apart by providing “unparalleled support and a new level of access to WordPress expertise.”

This premium offering will reportedly help small businesses fix, update and optimize their WordPress sites more quickly and conveniently than ever before. WP Premium Support promises to give customers round-the-clock access to a large team of on-call WordPress developers to provide expert guidance on resolving website issues and boosting performance at the drop of a hat.

“Small businesses have better things to do than spending their time figuring out how to troubleshoot and implement WordPress fixes on their own,” said Alex McClafferty, Director of Product and founder of WP Curve, which was acquired by GoDaddy in 2016. “Whether it’s a plugin that stops working or a theme that needs updating, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ additional support will need to be called in. With WP Premium Support, we’re providing peace of mind to small businesses whose WordPress websites can be kept up and running as they should be, with fixes expertly implemented, and fast.”

To sign up for WP Premium Support, contact the GoDaddy customer care center at 480-463-8824, or visit the WP Premium Support product description web page to find more information. Basic plans for this subscription-based service start from $79.99 per month moving up to $149.99 per month for the Ultimate plan, as per the information on the product page.

Image: WordPress

This article, "GoDaddy Launches Premium WordPress Support for Small Business Sites and Administrators" was first published on Small Business Trends

Balkan startups offer free housing service after football price-gouging row

 Football (or soccer) fans wanting to attend UEFA Super Cup 2017 in Skopje last week found that many of their hotel rooms were cancelled and rebooked at astronomical rates – sometimes 500 to 900 GBP for a hotel room that was originally a fraction of that. In order to fight back against a tarnished global image (and because they are cool people), a group in Skopje, WeTalkIT, created a… Read More

Can Customers Find Your Company’s Phone Number? Here are the Places They’ll Look (INFOGRAPHIC)

Want to make it easier for customers to connect with you?

Make sure you update your phone number in online directories. It turns out these are found to be the most popular means to obtain contact numbers.

That’s according to new research by National Cellular Directory, a Minneapolis-based information commerce search engine.

Data compiled by the company determines online directories are the most reliable at helping users fine contact numbers at about 84 percent.

Traditional Phone Directories are Not Very Useful

The report also revealed the diminishing relevance of traditional phone directories (usually in booklet form) since they contain only landline numbers. These directories are therefore “becoming less and less valuable” Brent Christensen, president and CEO of the Minnesota Telecom Alliance told USA Today.

Moreover, only 9 percent of Americans answer their landline, which further makes phone directories less attractive to users.

Stay Updated on Google and Social Media

With 95 percent of U.S. adults owning a cellphone today, Google and social media have become more popular for searching phone numbers.

Businesses should therefore update their phone numbers on their Google listings and social media pages.

Try Not to Change Your Phone Number Too Often

Most customers will save your number when they find it. That’s why it can be quite annoying for them to try your number again a couple of months later and find it doesn’t work anymore.

In certain cases, when you just have to change your number, make sure it is updated everywhere.

Best Places to List Your Business Phone Number

Curious to know more? Check out the infographic below:

Images: National Cellular Directory

This article, "Can Customers Find Your Company’s Phone Number? Here are the Places They’ll Look (INFOGRAPHIC)" was first published on Small Business Trends

Reports on the Death of Microsoft Paint Have Been Exaggerated

Good news for fans of MS Paint fans! Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has announced reports of the popular app’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Instead of killing off the popular tool, Microsot says it will be moved to the Windows Store — and offered for free.

Earlier reports that MS Paint might be laid to rest all together led to some elegant eulogies to the popular software on Twitter.

R.I.P. My childhood with Microsoft Paint 1998-2017. :'(. #MSpaint pic.twitter.com/cTpoWHwxFS

— Kayla Rae??? (@KaylaColgan) July 24, 2017

RIP MS Paint. RIP our childhoods pic.twitter.com/UpNYEDe4cA

— Ramsha (@Economistaken) July 24, 2017

However, Microsoft quickly responded to the news in a tweet saying:

Microsoft Paint: Here to stayhttps://t.co/yiJvvYh7GT pic.twitter.com/EXRqIyVLGm

— Microsoft (@Microsoft) July 25, 2017

Don’t Listen to the Microsoft Paint Rumor

Microsoft’s General Manager Megan Saunders also reinforced the company’s position in a blog, saying: “Today, we’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support and nostalgia around MS Paint. If there’s anything we learned, it’s that after 32 years, MS Paint has a lot of fans. It’s been amazing to see so much love for our trusty old app. Amidst today’s commentary around MS Paint we wanted to take this opportunity to set the record straight, clear up some confusion and share some good news: MS Paint is here to stay, it will just have a new home soon, in the Windows Store where it will be available for free.”

It is, however, important to mention that part of what made Paint a powerful tool is that it came by default. It chose users and not the other way round.

Microsoft also said that the new app for creativity — Paint 3D — will now be available for free with the Windows 10 Creators Update. Small business owners who once relied on MS Paint for their design needs, will doubtless find enhanced fearures with Paint 3D. In addition to its 3D capabilities, the new app also features many of MS Paint’s features, including line and curve tools, photo editing, and 2D creation.

So while Paint is put out to pasture, small business users who praise its features might also want to give Paint 3D a try.

Image: Microsoft

This article, "Reports on the Death of Microsoft Paint Have Been Exaggerated" was first published on Small Business Trends

Sick of SoundCloud? Anchor offers podcast transfer with free hosting

 SoundCloud is on shaky financial footing, saying it only has enough money to last a few more months unless someone buys or invests in it. That’s sure to cause anxiety in content creators with their life’s work stored on SoundCloud. Now some new startups are nipping at SoundCloud’s heels by focusing on podcasting in ways the music streaming service never did. Anchor is a… Read More

What should you do before tomorrow’s Bitcoin split?

 August 1st is almost upon us and the great Bitcoin “hard fork” is about to confuse the heck out of the casual cryptocurrency observer. Here’s what you should know. Quite simply, if you are using an exchange that is explicitly in support of the Bitcoin Cash or you control your own private keys then you are fine. If you are keeping your bitcoin on an exchange, like Coinbase,… Read More

What sucks about the design industry and insights to fast-track your career

 We use the 25th and final episode to sit down and ask each other 10 questions, similar to those we’ve been asking our guests over the past 24 weeks. From how we both got started as designers, to the lessons that have had the most profound impact on our careers. Ghoshal breaks down the three things he takes into consideration when accepting — or even considering — a potential… Read More

Starbucks’ Closing of Teavana Stores Could Be Small Business Opportunity

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) just announced that it’s closing all of the storefronts for its Teavana brand. And that could mean new opportunities for small businesses to break into the market.

Closing of Teavana Stores Opens Opportunities

Starbucks decided to close the once popular tea stores due to slow sales. But there’s still a fairly sizable market out there for tea businesses. And there are also trendy offerings on the upswing right now like bubble tea and matcha that could provide great differentiation opportunities for small businesses.

So with Teavana, which was one of the more recognizable tea brands in the country, exiting the space, it could be the perfect time for small businesses to jump in. You could do this by researching tea franchise opportunities or just opening your own independent shop.

The brand’s departure will also be another blow to business at the mall where most of the 379 Teavana stores were located. Teavan’s exit from malls follows the departure by other key brands like JCPenney and GameStop.

But here again the loss of big brands at the mall could be small business’s gain.  According to a report from the National Retail Federation, smaller malls may fail but larger ones are here to stay. And the departure of some big chains could be the perfect opportunity for the right small retailers at the mall.

So do some homework on the niches and opportunities out there and find a way to deliver your product to consumers where they actually shop. Then maybe you can make a name for yourself in this market where there’s suddenly a huge business opportunity.

Teavana Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Starbucks’ Closing of Teavana Stores Could Be Small Business Opportunity" was first published on Small Business Trends

With 200M daily users, Giphy will soon test sponsored GIFs

 And it’s about time. Giphy, the four-year-old search engine for GIFs, is going to finally start testing monetization. According to a source close to the company, Giphy will begin testing sponsored GIFs within messaging experiences. This means that users who search for GIFs may be served a sponsored GIF within the messaging tab. There are some obvious use-cases here: A search for… Read More

Does Your Small Business Really Need AI?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be intimidating to small businesses. In fact, a survey commissioned by Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) last year found 61 percent of small business owners felt they weren’t ready to adopt it. They felt AI was too complicated for what they needed.

Salesforce wants to change that perception with its AI platform, called Einstein.

Does a Small Business Really Need AI?

Small Business Trends spoke with Tony Rodoni, Executive Vice President for SMB sales at Salesforce, about AI and what it can do for small businesses.

The Big Brands Are Already Using It

Whether small businesses are ready or not, big brands are already using AI to stake out huge territory, says Rodoni.

“Apple’s Siri uses natural language processing to recognize voice commands. And companies like Amazon, Netflix and Spotify are using machine learning to understand how items in their catalogs relate to one another and their customer’s preferences,” he says.

AI Adoption by Small Businesses

Small businesses can do the same. But the pace of technology adoption by small businesses isn’t always fast.  Salesforce’s 2016 Connected Small Business Report notes only 21 percent of small businesses are using features like business intelligence software and analytics.

Rodoni explains what they’re missing by not adopting AI.

“AI has the potential to make every company and every employee smarter, faster, more operationally efficient and more productive,” he says.  “For small businesses with limited time and resources, the ability to work smarter and automate basic tasks can be a life-saver. That’s why we launched Einstein.”

In fact, small businesses that are early to adopt new technologies look bigger than they are. Rodoni has called this the blowfish effect.

The Benefits of AI

Maximizing resources and prioritizing time are just two of the benefits of artificial intelligence.

With AI, you can predict customer service issues before they happen. AI can help you identify the prospects that are most likely to buy your goods and services. Your marketing efforts become more personalized because you have more information about customer preferences to work with.

The benefits of AI include the ability to help your business:

• Automate the send-time for your marketing emails to arrive when they will most likely be read.
• Figure out which segments of your audience to target with the greatest expectation of return on investment.
• Predict the amount of sales in your pipeline — even before the results come in.
• Predict your most important sales leads.

Spending hours sorting through spreadsheets, hunting down leads or tweaking marketing campaigns manually can be things of the past.

It’s Good for Growth

Rodoni draws a connection between AI and success for startups.

“I believe that AI is a necessity to growth,” Rodoni says.  “Behind every deal, every order and every opportunity is a customer. AI marries human interaction and machine intelligence in a way that enables companies to better connect with their customers.”

Artificial intelligence works to scale, another win for the smaller shop.  Not only that, it leads you to the right customers and helps you to engage them. At the same time, it automates tasks across marketing, service and sales.

Choose Vendors That Incorporate AI into Products

Once small businesses have gotten over their initial apprehension, integrating AI into their businesses is easier than might be expected. You don’t have to master the technology underlying artificial intelligence. You just have to find the vendors that have mastered AI and incorporated it into their product offerings.

In Einstein’s case, it’s an add-on to the Salesforce platform.

“The beauty of Einstein is that it’s embedded directly into the Salesforce platform. Customers don’t need to do anything to start using it or seeing the benefits – it just works,” Rodoni says.

Image: Salesforce

This article, "Does Your Small Business Really Need AI?" was first published on Small Business Trends