Small Business
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Apple is cutting App Store fees in half for the majority of developers
This is the first time Apple has altered the way the commission structure works.
Instagram's new QR codes are a shortcut directly to your profile
Instagram's shareable QR codes are a quick link that any camera app can scan to find your profile.
Google's $800 million COVID-19 relief effort includes 2 million face masks
Google's support for the fight against COVID-19 includes more than advisories and a search hub. The internet firm is making a $800 million-plus investment in multiple areas to aid treatment, support businesses and keep the public informed. This includes direct financial backing and know-ow, including partnering with supplier Magid GlovE & Safety to produce 2-3 million face masks for the CDC Foundation in the "coming weeks." It'll also assist the government, manufacturers and distributors in producing ventilators.
Facebook pledges $100 million to small businesses impacted by coronavirus
Until now, Facebook's response to the coronavirus outbreak has focused on fighting the spread of misinformation -- by offering free WHO ads and banning ads that promote false 'cures.' Now, Facebook plans to invest $100 million in 30,000 small businesses in over 30 countries where its employees work and live. Facebook is also giving $1,000 bonuses to each of its employees, CNBC reports.
Uber Eats waives delivery fees for over 100,000 independent restaurants
In response to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the restaurant industry, Uber Eats is waiving delivery fees for over 100,000 independent restaurants across the US and Canada. It's the latest move by gig-economy businesses like Uber, Lyft and Grubhub to help alleviate some of the financial challenges that the coronavirus outbreak presents.
Grubhub waives fees for independent restaurants impacted by COVID-19
As people around the country begin "social distancing" to limit the spread of COVID-19, restaurants are already seeing a downturn in business. In partnership with mayors from Boston, Chicago, New York City and San Francisco, Grubhub is stepping up to help its small restaurant clients.
Tech giants to face House committee hearings over effects on small business
Internet heavyweights are facing yet more congressional scrutiny over their competitive practices. The House Small Business Committee intends to question Amazon, Facebook and Google over their possible harm to competition for small businesses. Committee chair Nydia Velàzquez (above) intends to hold a hearing in late October or early November to explore the health of smaller companies in the face of "dominance" by large tech firms in spaces "ranging from e-commerce to internet traffic," a spokeswoman told Bloomberg. Notably, Velàzquez wants to know if small outlets are stymied when they either compete directly with internet giants or try to promote themselves on those giants' sites.
Perch simplifies social media for business owners
Perch is a free, universal social media management app designed to save business owners time every day. Perch offers social network and review activity for your company in a simple, unified feed. It's also possible to watch other businesses and track their activity. Keep track of your competition or see what similar businesses in other cities do with their online identities. Opening the app for the first time allows you to sign in via Facebook or with an email address by creating a Perch account. Then you start searching for businesses. You can claim your business or add your competition to the watch list. Then you sit back and monitor your feeds. Eventually, Perch will add helpful tips and insights to the app so you can optimize your online presence. They're also working with strategic partners to recommend applicable services to your business in-app. Unfortunately, I initially had a hard time finding my business on Perch. I found a couple of my local competitors and added them to my watch list. Unlike the 1-star iTunes reviews, I actually loved the concept, so I sat down to figure out what wasn't working with my business. I generally consider myself active on social networks and maintain my Yelp/Google records, but Perch still couldn't find my business. After reading their FAQ, I realized why: Perch uses Foursquare for their business records, and I hadn't updated my Foursquare record in more than a year. After spending a few minutes on the Foursquare website, I was able to see my business properly in Perch. To the naysaying business owners in iTunes: it was an easy fix. We really shouldn't be ignoring Foursquare, should we? At this point, I asked myself, "Why is Perch using Foursquare?" Everyone has a different opinion on the Swarm rollout, but it was a negative change for me; I stopped using Foursquare completely. Maintaining my Foursquare record didn't seem like a priority (I realize that was a mistake on my part). Since it's the only way to work with Perch, I decided to ask the developers a few questions. Thanks to the wonderful world of Twitter, I reached out and asked about their decision to integrate with Foursquare. They set up a phone call with the VP of Customer Operations and Marketing, Anke Heckhoff. She answered all of my questions and helped me understand the nature of their Foursquare relationship. It turns out that Foursquare provides the richest pool of location-based data. No other service offers links to various social media accounts specific to a business address. Yelp records only link to the business website, same with Google... so using Foursquare's data makes the most sense for Perch. Alternatively, Perch would need to build and maintain its own editable directory of businesses and social media accounts; that's a lot of overhead for a simple app. The main problem this presents is monitoring competitors. If a competitor's Foursquare account isn't accurate (or in the worst case, completely missing), monitoring their social media activity is impossible with Perch. Anyone can create/add the necessary competitor data by suggesting edits on Foursquare, but that would get time consuming. While aggregating data from Twitter, Facebook, Google and Yelp is very helpful, it doesn't show the complete identity of a business. Maybe Perch will convince Foursquare to link more social networks like Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Vine, etc. to the business records. That would bridge the gaps in their feeds but only if the business or a Foursquare user updates the record. Perch is also largely dependent on what data the major social networks allow them to access and if that data matches a specific location. For example, I cannot see a competitor's complete Instagram feed in Perch because Instagram doesn't link accounts to a specific address. However, I can see individual pictures taken at a business if an Instagram user adds the location data. Pinterest doesn't allow any third-party access to their content, so Perch can't share any information from that network. Neither of these issues are deal-breakers. Businesses utilize both networks heavily, but missing activity from these networks wouldn't be detrimental to most social media strategies. Ultimately, Perch is a unique utility that provides a simple location-based feed for business owners. If you're looking to monitor and stay ahead of your competition, it's a must-have app. I did ask about iPhone 6 and 6+ compatibility; they said it would be available in a December update (along with some new features). Perch requires iOS 6.0 or later and works with all iOS devices. At the wonderful price of free, I highly suggest spending some time with this app so you get the most from it.
GoDaddy, Microsoft focus on small businesses with Office 365 partnership
Early last year, Microsoft extended its Office 365 subscription service to small- and medium-sized businesses and now it's continuing that push with a new partnership with GoDaddy. The web-hosting and domain name company will offer Microsoft's suite of productivity tools to its small-business customers, including the ability to easily connect users' domain names to Office's email services. It also brings the full suite of Office's productivity software, including shared calendars, cloud storage and instant messaging. The move comes a little over a year after Blake Irving, a former Microsoft exec, took the helm as GoDaddy's new CEO, where he's focused on expanding its support for small businesses. Office 365 for GoDaddy is already available in the US and Canada and will open up globally later this year.
CES 2013: Kanex introduces meDrive, a simple file server for iDevices and Macs
Kanex just announced its new meDrive, a bring-your-own storage network drive, accessible from your computer or iOS mobile device. Supporting WebDAV and Bonjour, it offers easy setup and discovery. Retailing for US$99, the device is particularly helpful for anyone who wants to bring along videos and other large storage items without taking up a device's limited storage. Meant for use on trips and for serving data on local networks, you can swap out drives as needed. WebDAV allows an easy way for small business to share iWork files as well. The related myDrive management app is free at the iOS App Store. We'll review the hardware in the coming weeks.
Ooma Office brings VoIP to small business, launching this month
Ooma's expanding its VoIP offerings to the world of business, introducing "Ooma Office" today at CES 2013. Ooma Office takes the already existing VoIP functionality built into Ooma's Telo device (made for residential use) and adapts it for small business purposes -- conference bridges, an automated, programmable receptionist, and line extensions are all part of Ooma Office. You can even set your own on-hold music, should that be your kinda thing. The biggest difference from Ooma's home offering is the price; at $19.99 a line, Ooma Office is much more expensive than the residential version (which only charges for the initial base, and not for service), but much cheaper than competitive services (see: Vonage, Access Line, etc.). Rather than pretend this is a solution for large business, however, Ooma's targeting businesses of 1 - 10 employees. "Sound like a big business at a small business price," is the device's slogan, which is highly appropriate considering the device's functionality. The Ooma Office launches this month for $249.99 at US and Canadian retailers, and it works with standard land line phones, cell phones, and "most" fax machines and credit card readers. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Skype announces new 'In the Workspace' platform for small businesses
Skype has made itself present in many different areas around the globe, but the Microsoft-owned service is now looking to enter (and hopefully be a part of) a more business-oriented field. With the launch of its newfangled, adequately-named In the Workspace platform, Skype says it's hoping to keep small businesses connected and help them grow by giving them a free platform where they can easily communicate with potential customers, partners and even suppliers. According to Skype, this novel service has been tested in beta form for nearly six months now, and today it's officially opening its virtual doors to all business owners that are interested in giving it a go -- the link to sign up can be found down below.
Editorial: Square gets the attention, but credit cards rule
Lower Manhattan, Pearl Street, the Financial District. A Starbucks with broad windows, great for people watching. Sipping my $5 flavored coffee, I watched a homeless man sit on the sidewalk. I liked him immediately: his sharp gaze and thoughtful expression. When I left, I squatted down next to him and put five bucks in his jar, contributing the cost of my first-world coffee to the man's case for survival. We talked. He knew his tech, this man of no possessions, describing his favorite productivity gadgets of the past decade, scorning Apple for form over function. He had been living on the street day and night for two years. My five dollars was "huge," he said. I knew that was true only microcosmically. He liked cigars. That's where the cash would go. Meanwhile, Starbucks had recently cut a deal with Square, one of the hottest startup stories of the season, so that people with five dollars to spend on coffee needn't pull out a wallet and ponder their privilege.
FreshBooks small business accounting service launches an iPhone app
Popular online accounting service FreshBooks released a new iPhone app that'll let users keep track of their small business expenses while on the go. The new app syncs to your online FreshBooks account and lets you manage many aspects of your small business right on your phone. Just like the online service, the FreshBooks app allows you to create professional invoices and get paid right from your iPhone. It's extremely useful to be able to log your hours and keep track of your expenses on your iPhone when you are working offsite. If you've completed your work and are ready to close out a project, you can submit an invoice before you leave the client's office. Besides invoicing, the app also lets you manage your clients and keep track of your employees. If you are talking with a new client, you can use the iPhone app to enter client contact information and generate a project estimate during the meeting. The app has a reporting feature that launches mobile safari and takes you to your online account so you can view expense reports, track revenue by client or staff, review team time sheets and more. The FreshBooks app is available for free from the iOS App Store and requires a FreshBooks account. FreshBooks is a paid service with plans that start at $20 per month. There is a free plan, but it only allows you to manage three clients and does not let you add staff to your account.
Daily Update for August 20, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
How apps are helping small business save money
During its keynote presentations, Apple often showcases how educational institutions and Fortune 500 companies are using the iPad and iPhone. Many people don't realize that small businesses are also benefiting from Apple's iOS devices. A report in USA Today sheds some light on how small business owners are using the iPad to increase productivity and save some cash. It's the iPad's portability and its robust App Store that make the tablet so attractive to businesses. With only a few thousand dollars, a small business can arm several employees with iPads so they can conduct business on the go. For example, the iPad lets a real estate agent take pictures, jot down notes, draw floor plans, and manage open house showings. When someone is ready to buy, the agent can have the buyer sign all necessary documents in the field. Though some companies have embraced the iPad whole-heartedly, many small companies are proceeding cautiously. According to a Forrester survey, only 24 percent of workers in small businesses use a touch-screen tablet for work. Apple has an enormous opportunity, if it can reach out to these reticent companies and show them how the iPad or iPhone can save them time and money.
Square intros flat-rate payment option at $275 per month, hits small business sweet spot
Square is most often pitched as heaven for small businesses, but that 2.75 percent cut per transaction is sometimes a problem for stores that are too successful. Enter a new flat rate option. Shops that don't take more than $250,000 a year in Square payments, or charge more than $400 in a given sale, can instead pay a flat $275 per month regardless of how many swipes they take. The deal makes the most sense for businesses handling more than $120,000 a year through the reader, establishing a definite limit to its usefulness; this isn't exactly for a budding jeweler (or Starbucks). Even so, the simplicity of the rate might be very alluring for companies that aren't keen on surprise costs or working out the math, and it's a contrast to the half-steps towards flat rates taken by VeriFone and other, more traditional outlets going mobile.
Ask Engadget: best online storefront for a small business?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Cesar, who wants to become the next eBoy. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I design and make customized t-shirts in my town, and over the last two years they've become pretty popular. I've had to expand to keep up with all the demand, so now I'm looking at taking my business online, but I don't know anything about building my own e-store. What's the best way for a newbie to start their own e-store? I've been looking at services like Wix, but can you think of anything better? Thanks in advance!"We're always looking to ask questions that are a little bit different than "help me pick an Android tablet" and this one's a real doozy. In a former life we once had to help build a site that used POWA, which we were quite taken with, but that's as far as our knowledge goes. Perhaps one of you knows of a truly excellent e-commerce platform for small businesses and can point Cesar in the right direction. Go on, let's be good to one another.
Square now available at Walgreens, Staples and FedEx Office
While a roster of competitors are trying to get their foot in the mobile payments door, Square's busy getting a foothold in retail stores. With Walgreens, Staples and FedEx Office locations now carrying the credit card reader, it's available at more than 20,000 physical shops throughout the US -- joining Apple, Best Buy, OfficeMax, Radio Shack, Target, UPS and Wal-Mart. Bringing it home from a brick and mortar establishment will set you back $9.95, but Square's sweetening the pot with a $10 rebate for new users. However, if your entrepreneurial snail mail-loving heart desires, you can still have one mailed to you by signing up online. Eager to start swiping plastic? Lookout below for the full press release.
Lenovo refreshes its ThinkPad T, W, L and X lines with Ivy Bridge processors, retooled keyboards
Now that Intel's Ivy Bridge specifications are finally out of the bag, you may as well resign yourselves to a deluge of PC refreshes over the coming months. Today Lenovo's up at bat, unveiling a slew of products under its business-friendly ThinkPad brand. If you were looking for a wholesale redesign, we'll kindly direct you to the X1, which was just reborn as a 14-inch Ultrabook. Otherwise, if you were just holding out for a little Ivy Bridge, we've got your refresh right here. All told, the upgrades span Lenovo's ultraportable X series, mainstream "T" lineup, budget "L" models and the W-series workstation. In general, you'll find Ivy Bridge processors (natch), Dolby audio and, in some cases, optional 4G radios. Additionally, the company tweaked its famed keyboard ever-so slightly and added a backlighting option to almost every system, save the newly available T430u Ultrabook. That's the abridged version for those of you not actually in the market for a new system, but folks craving more nitty-gritty details can follow past the break for a more detailed breakdown of pricing and specs.%Gallery-155303%
