Tips For Small Businesses

Writing the vision statement for a project can be the most enjoyable aspect of being a business analyst.  He or she may have to curb their enthusiasm during the writing process.  The business analyst can become lost in great expectations when writing the vision statement.

Writing the vision statement will answer the everyday questions of who, what , when, why, and where.  The who is easily defined as the stakeholders and the end user.  The stakeholder as the who will be listed as the person or company enabling the project to be completed.  It will include pertinent information about the company stand on the technology being developed.

In writing a vision statement the "what" is the project program.  The vision statement will deliver reasoning behind why the program is being developed.  It will include what the program will be able to accomplish, what uses the program will have and who the program will impact.  The vision statement may include statements of interest including updates available.  The key is to keep the vision statement truthful.

Vision statements include when the project or program will be completed or available for use.  It will set a goal for release or implementation.  The when is the time frame set by the stakeholders and development teams needs assessment.  Determining the when of a vision statement can be an overwhelming task.  There are always reasons why something can not be done on time.  The infamous phrase is "There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it again."  To set a definitive date in a vision statement is to take a risk.  This is something which should also be included.  Stakeholders and end users will know the date is tentative.

The vision statement will deliver the reason why the program or project is being developed.  It will list needs by the stakeholders and the end user.  It will answer how the procedure or program will benefit the stakeholders.  The vision statement will allow for projected returns on the investment.  It will list why the program has to be developed for the betterment of the organization.  The vision statement will answer why the project steps are being taken.  This is probably one of the key elements in a vision statement.

Where the program will be used is another key factor listed in the vision statement.  The business analyst will determine where the program will best be utilized.  In writing the vision statement the business analyst will reveal where project development will take place.  It will also list where any outside resources will be used.  Where the end user applies the program is instrumental in how the program is developed.

The vision statement is not to be confused with the mission statement of a company.  The vision statement is concerning the program project and only the program project.  There may be great ideas expressed in the vision statement.  The good business analyst will be able to keep the vision statement focused on the needs of the stakeholders.  It is up to the business analyst and developers to keep the vision statement real and do-able.  This is a mission with a targeted success date.  The vision statement will deliver this information so the stakeholders know the scope of the project.  The vision statement is the concept behind the mission.

When it comes to your website, extra attention should be paid to every minute detail to make sure it performs optimally to serve its purpose. Here are seven important rules of thumb to observe to make sure your website performs well.

1) Do not use splash pages
Splash pages are the first pages you see when you arrive at a website. They normally have a very beautiful image with words like "welcome" or "click here to enter". In fact, they are just that -- pretty vases with no real purpose. Do not let your visitors have a reason to click on the "back" button! Give them the value of your site up front without the splash page.

2) Do not use excessive banner advertisements
Even the least net savvy people have trained themselves to ignore banner advertisements so you will be wasting valuable website real estate. Instead, provide more valueable content and weave relevant affiliate links into your content, and let your visitors feel that they want to buy instead of being pushed to buy.

3) Have a simple and clear navigation
You have to provide a simple and very straightforward navigation menu so that even a young child will know how to use it. Stay away from complicated Flash based menus or multi-tiered dropdown menus. If your visitors don't know how to navigate, they will leave your site.

4) Have a clear indication of where the user is
When visitors are deeply engrossed in browsing your site, you will want to make sure they know which part of the site they are in at that moment. That way, they will be able to browse relevant information or navigate to any section of the site easily. Don't confuse your visitors because confusion means "abandon ship"!

5) Avoid using looping audio on your site
If your visitor is going to stay a long time at your site, reading your content, you will want to make sure they're not annoyed by some audio looping on and on on your website. If you insist on adding audio, make sure they have some control over it -- volume or muting controls would work fine.

Photo Blogging May be the Pinnacle of Modern Technology

Many people feel that photo blogging is the most exciting kind of blogging that exists. Building and
maintaining a photo blog is no more difficult than creating and updating a text-based blog, and many
people feel that the internet's high speed, full-color technology reaches the pinnacle of its appeal with the
transmission of images. Posting photographs in a blog format on a daily, weekly, or occasional basis is a great way to express yourself while reaching viewers in an emotionally charged and aesthetically engaging way, and surfing photo blogs can help you to get a whole new perspective on the world in which we live.

Many people who run image blogs are photographers by trade, but photo blogging is also very popular among hobbyists and amateur shutterbugs. To be certain, a lot of the most popular photo blogs have gained attention because the pictures on them are of the highest artistic caliber, and a lot of the people who run these striking blogs are graduates of prestigious art schools and have impressive professional portfolios. However, some of the most well known and most often visited photo blogs are as notable for their concepts as for the pictures themselves. Certain photo blogs, like the popular "Cute Overload" which features picture after picture of adorable animals, are more about the thematic content of the pictures than they are about the style in which the snapshots are taken.

The fact that photo blogs range from forums to display the work of highly skilled artisans to playful collections of curiosities shows that photo blogging is a truly diverse form. The fact that photo blogs are so easy to build and to update makes this kind of visual communication very democratic, and enables people at all skill levels to become a part of the global conversation about the nature and value of photography
today.

Whether you are an artist or hobbyist who wants to create a photo blog, or whether you are just somebody
who enjoys learning about new places and things, spending some time looking at the most popular
photography blogs on the internet can be a very rewarding endeavor. You can travel to another place or
another time by seeing pictures of faraway locations and long-gone eras. You can see your own neighborhood with fresh eyes by discover how local artists have photographed the town or city in which you live. Photo blogging allows people to communicate all of these things and more, which makes it a very exciting part of the modern blogosphere. If the best thing about web technology is that it allows people to reach each other in a very personal way from across great distances, then in many ways photo blogs are the most successful kind of web sites.

Video marketing for small businesses is currently very 'hot'. And that will soon transform into a necessary afterthought.  Web 3.0 will dictate that for you to survive online, interactive media is a must.

This is a wave that’s been predicted for some time.

Video should be simple and straight to the point. Not too long. Natural.  Casually dressed workers.

Videos are very cost effective.  The expense is minimal.  A hand held camcorder  works well.Upload to YouTube or Google Video, and you're good to go.  I would actually prefer to have the video on your website.

When will YOU produce your first online marketing video?