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Teaming USA is dedicated to helping small business owners find partners and learn the powerful advantages of working together to win government and major corporate contracts.

If one is coming, you can register for your area HERE

Small businesses are vital to our economic strength and future. And teaming is one of the top strategies for helping small businesses compete for and win government business. Teaming USA^SM, a program of American Express OPEN® and Business Matchmaking, helps small business owners across America join forces to win.

*Recruit your team by harnessing the power of our teaming network, where you can share information and find teaming partners.

*Learn from teaming leaders and share your expertise. Download and share best practices, tips and tools through our online community of teaming experts, small business owners and experienced teams who deliver the unique wisdom of experience.

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Teaming USA provides the tools and inside tips to successfully team up with other small business owners to win contracts and is free of charge to all small business owners.

OPEN® and Business Matchmaking are proud to help small businesses—including certified—strengthen and diversify the U.S. economy and future.

Start, build and grow your team today

About American Express OPEN®
American Express OPEN is dedicated exclusively to the success of small business owners and their companies. OPEN® supports business owners with exceptional service. With tailored products and services, the team delivers purchasing power, flexibility, control and rewards to help customers run their business. Specifically, business owner customers can leverage an enhanced set of products, tools, services and savings, including charge and credit cards, convenient access to working capital, robust online account management capabilities and savings on business services from an expanded lineup of partners. To obtain more information about OPEN, visit www.OPEN.com, or call 1-800-NOW-OPEN to apply for a card or loan. Terms and conditions apply.

About Business Matchmaking
Business Matchmaking (BMM), a 501(c)3 non-profit, is the nation’s premier public-private initiative supporting procurement opportunities for small business in every industry. For the past six years, BMM has produced regional face-to-face selling events, plenary seminars and workshops, online training and collateral material for primarily socially disadvantaged, women, veteran and disabled veteran owned firms. With our partners, BMM has facilitated more than 70,000 seller-buyer meetings resulting in billions of dollars in contracts granted. Events are free to both participating small businesses and representative buyers. Teaming USA builds on the success of Business Matchmaking by bringing together powerful teams qualified to capture contracts and deliver results.

Get an extra layer of protection with the PayPal Security Key – it’s easy to use and portable, so you can access your account with confidence from just about anywhere. Some of you may already have a security key hanging from your key chain or maybe even one that fits inside your wallet or purse.

I have one on my key chain but my key chain is sometimes not in my possession at all times. My cell phone on the other hand is almost always in the hostler at my side.

The PayPal Security Key creates random temporary security codes that help safeguard your PayPal account when you log in. With the Mobile phone security key you can sign up to get security codes sent by text message to your mobile phone.

How much does it cost?

The mobile security key has no costs, except your mobile provider’s standard text messaging charges. Check with your mobile provider for details.

Each security key is $5, and there’s no monthly service fee or additional cost. Replacement keys are the same price.

Why should I use the PayPal Security Key?

There are 3 main reasons to use a security key:

1. It’s one of the most secure ways to log in to your PayPal account. The security key randomly generates security codes that are practically impossible to duplicate.

2. It’s easy to use. A fresh security code is just one button (or about 30 seconds) away.

3. It’s portable. Take extra security anywhere you go.

What do I need to use the mobile phone security key?

You’ll need a mobile phone and service that supports SMS text messaging. Contact your mobile provider to make sure your phone and services are set up for SMS, and to find out your provider’s standard text messaging charges.

My account has never been hacked, why do I need this?

Even though this security feature from PayPal is over a year old, if you do a search on “Paypal account hacked” you will get over 1,480,000 entries that contain information on how you can hack into the average PayPal account that does not have a security key. Most of these entries are videos that show you step by step how they did it.

Some say a security key is overkill for most PayPal account owners and its too much trouble to deal with when you want to get into your account right away.  I say better to have the extra added security then to one day find out your account has been hacked and a large portion of your money is gone.  From what I am told it can take PayPal several days and sometimes months to investigate such a incident and PayPal will not replace the stolen funds until their investigation is complete.

Even if you are to cheap to pay $5.00 for the electronic token, the mobile version is Free by text for most cell phone carriers here in the united states.

For additional answers to your questions about the PayPal Security please see the PayPal Security Key FAQ

All the best

JB

Tonight I had the pleasure of presenting on the New Life Event hosted by Shawna Fennell 

Types of Business Names
The many forms of business names include legal names, trade names, domain names, and trademarks. Before delving into the various ways you can protect business names, here is a quick breakdown and description of each.

• Legal Names. A business’s legal name is the name of the person or entity that owns the business.  It is the name you use to file government forms and applications. For sole proprietors, this means that your business’s legal name is your personal legal name, as in “Mary Smith.”  Other business structures use the name documented in a partnership agreement, the combined last names of partners, or the name that is registered with your state government as their legal name.  Regardless of the type of business you have, you only file the legal name of your business with your state as described below.
• Trade Names. A trade name, also known as a fictitious name or a DBA (doing business as) name, is the name under which business is conducted. Think of it as the nickname for your business – not a legal identity, but the name that everyone recognizes the business as.  For example, Mary Smith owns a business called Seaside Catering, but files her business under Mary Smith. “Mary Smith” is the legal name while “Seaside Catering” is the trade name. You file your business’s trade name with your county or your state, depending on the state your business is located in. However, you can obtain further protection on a national and international level, which is discussed below.
• Domain Names.   A domain name is the web address of an online business.  Establishing a domain name allows you to conduct business on the web. Depending on how much protection you want your domain name to have, you can have obtain state, national, and international protection.
• Trademark.  To protect a business names, many owners file for a trademark- a word, name, symbol, sound, or color used to represent and distinguish a company’s products or services in the marketplace. Don’t confuse a “trade name” with a “trademark” – the two are not the interchangeable. However, a trade name can be trademarked if the name represents and distinguishes a business product or service.

If you want to register your trade name as a trademark, make sure that the trademark is available before your register with the state and federal government or the international organization, depending who you are filing with. Conduct a thorough name search for existing similar or same names in various databases such as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, your state filing office, and even a quick search on the Internet.

Protecting Your Business Name
You want to obtain the right amount of protection for your business name. For example, local and state protection is adequate for businesses operating in their immediate vicinity. You may want national and maybe even international protection if you are starting and expanding your business beyond.

Local Protection
According to common law, the business that uses a particular trade name first has legal right to that name. Common law protection does not require specific filings with the government. Therefore, this type of protection may be sufficient if you just plan to do business locally.

State Protection

• Register Your Legal Business Name. To extend the protection that a common-law registration provides, register your legal name with your state. The legal name of your LLC or corporation is already registered with your state government if you have incorporated your business. However, if you own a sole proprietorship or a partnership, contact your secretary of state to register.
• File a DBA or Fictitious Name. If you are doing business under a name that is different from your legal business name, you will need to file a DBA, otherwise known as “doing business as” name or a “fictitious name.” You are using a fictitious name when you advertise your business under another name or your business is widely known by the public under another name. Some states require that you to file with the Secretary of State, others leave it up to their county’s government, while others do not have requirements for DBA filings at all.

Filing a DBA or fictitious name is controlled at the state level. The federal government does not have a nation-wide registry or record of states’ fictitious names. Therefore, DBAs registered at the state provides only state protection. Read more about DBA name registrations in the Business Law Advisor Blog.

• Register for a State Trademark. Filinga state trademark for your business name, trade name or domain name does not require as much time and money as a federal trademark. A state trademark also provides protection in states like Alabama that do not require businesses to file trade names with the state government. If you are planning to do business solely in your state, a state trademark will provide you with the necessary protection. Learn about how to file a trademark with your state here.

National Protection

• Register for a Federal Trademark. If you are doing business across states or plan to launch your business nationally, you will want to trademark your trade name with the federal government. By registering your trade name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, you can protect your trade name against infringement.
• Register Your Domain Name. If you plan to start an online business or build a website for your business, register your domain name at with InterNIC – Public Information Regarding Internet Domain Name Registration Services. Your domain name can also qualify as a registered trademark if it is directly related to the products and services you provide as a business. In that case, you should file for a trademark with your state and the federal government as you would your trade name. International Protection

If you are doing business outside of the US, consider filing with the foreign country where your business activity exists. Most countries give trademark protection to the first business that registers the trademark, unlike the common law in the United States which gives legal rights to the first business that uses the trademark.

If you want universal protection, know that international trade name and trademark protection laws that are recognized in every single country do not exist. However, some countries have signed agreements to protect intellectual property internationally. Therefore, familiarize yourself with the following international systems if you are doing business in many different countries or in a specific global region in order to maximize the protection of your trade name:

• Community Trademark System. The Community Trade Mark (CTM) system allows you to file one application to protect your trademark in all 27 countries of the European Union. Contact the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) to learn more about the process of obtaining protection.
• The Madrid System. The Madrid System creates a “bundle of national registrations,” instead of one international trademark registration like the CTM System. In other words, it is a simpler one-application method to apply for protection in the 84 countries participating in the Madrid System.
• TRIPS Agreement. The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS) requires that all 153 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) comply with theminimum standards of intellectual property protection. There is no application process, but the agreement serves as a platform for protecting intellectual property rights in the international arena.

I am really starting to look forward to Thursdays now, just for the opportunity to post these discussions and then follow it. I really am learning alot and the resources are fascinating. If you missed any of these informative discussions, be sure to check back to the prior weeks:

• Week #1 : Brands and Branding: What is it?
• Week #2 : Keyword Research

These weekly topical discussion are really a great resource and I am enjoying the information that is being shared. 

Each Thursday we will post a topic related to us as merchants and the the COMMUNITY…YOU GUYS will come in on the comments and post. You can post your comments on the subject, links to articles or posts to other blogs on the topic, you can post links to YouTube videos or Podcast episodes. I do not care what you post as long as it furthers the education of the community, it qualifies. But of course this will ONLY work if you participate. I want to see if the community would participate to make it great. Come on guys, lets each one, teach one!!!

Topic this week?

Marketing Channels: Which one is the BEST for WHAT and WHY? 

Is it eBay? Or maybe Amazon? Even Craigslist? How bout them Comparative Shopping Engines (CSE’s), or even Etsy, Bonanzle, etc. OH dayam this is time for the showdown! Let’s go for the gusto…LMAO

OK, I need your input now so lets start posting to the thread topical information on Brands and Branding.

eCommerce Summit 2010 Agenda

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 6:00 PM –
Thursday, April 15, 2010 5:00 PM (Mountain Time)

Las Vegas – Flamingo Hotel & Casino
702-733-3111
3555 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
USA
Map & Directions

Hosted by:

 

Speakers include:

The State of eCommerce

It is always important for online merchants to see the big picture and understand the landscape. As Executive Director of the Professional eBay Seller’s Alliance, Jonathan Garriss understands the online retail landscape very clearly and will share with merchants what trends to pay attention to and opportunities not to miss.

Keynote Presentation – Creating, Adapting and thriving in eCommerce.

Paul Greenberg is co-founder and Managing Director of DealsDirect.com.au. When eBay launched in 1999 Paul became the first commercial seller on eBay trading as Auction Alliance. In 2004 Paul and Michael Rosenbaum launched Australia’s number one online department store, DealsDirect.com.au and created their own identity to meet the needs of customers who were looking for fixed price goods. In 2009, DealsDirect celebrated its 5th Birthday and continues to build from strength to strength. With a 430,000 square foot warehouse located in Ingleburn, 120 staff, 900,000 customers, over 1 million unique visitors per month, and four million items sold, DealsDirect.com.au is Australia’s leading online department store. 

Customer Service  Excellence – Focus on the Buyer

Marsha Collier is well known in the eBay seller community as one of the foremost eBay experts and top selling eBay author with over 1 million copies of her books in print. Marsha will be helping merchant
evaluate their customer service strategies to highlight the do’s and don’ts as well as the costs of not doing customer service right. Marsha Collier is Author of the For Dummies series of books on eBay and
eCommerce

Social Media for Business STINKS: Unless You Know These 7 Secrets

John Lawson from ColderICE.com speaks on these technologies. Every day, thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs miss out on millions of dollars in revenue simply because they don’t know how to utilize the Internet for marketing and selling. This is NOT your same old ABC stuff, these are actual eCommerce practices for Social Media that will yield bottom line results and amp up your business. 

eBay Seller and Executive Town Hall

After the eBay presentation, sellers have an opportunity to ask eBay executives questions and offer suggestions during the eBay seller and executive town hall. eBay executives value the tremendous opportunity to visit face to face with the seller community at eCommerce Summits. We recommend sellers take full advantage of this rare opportunity.

Get the FULL lineup of events and presentations HERE

Tuesday April 13, 2010

Registration Desk Opens – 5:00 PM
Cocktail Reception – 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: TBD

Wednesday April 14, 2010

Registration Desk Opens – 8:00 AM
Keynote Presentation – 9:00 AM
Educational Sessions – 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Evening Entertainment – TBD

Thursday April 15, 2010

Keynote Presentation – 9:00 AM
Educational Sessions – 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

ChannelAdvisor Primes Online Auto Parts Retailers to Maximize ROI on eBay Upgrades

ChannelAdvisor leads the industry as the first to announce support for latest eBay changes

Research Triangle Park, NC – February 22, 2010 – ChannelAdvisor, a solution provider that enables online retailers to improve efficiency and increase revenue, today announced support for key new eBay offerings being rolled out in March 2010, namely eBay Motors fitment for automotive parts and accessories.  This new update will make it easier and faster than ever for shoppers to buy auto parts and online retailers to list and sell auto parts.

“Whereas before sellers had to list each auto part multiple ways to account for the many ways that buyers search, now an item can be listed a single time and associated with all of the different applications (vehicle information),” said Scot Wingo, ChannelAdvisor CEO.  “This consolidation of listings can easily save a seller 75 percent or more on listing fees, while also helping them sell more since buyers can find the items more easily.”

Prior to this update, ChannelAdvisor’s auto customers have enjoyed a steady increase in sales over the past quarter, increasing nearly 16 percent in December alone.  ChannelAdvisor expects sales for customers to flourish this year with its support of the eBay update.  By fully automating these listings, ChannelAdvisor is helping auto parts retailers connect the dots and take complete advantage of these new updates.

“With eBay’s new capabilities paired with ChannelAdvisor’s solution, it will take us a fraction of the time and cost to list our products on eBay,” said Daniel Tole, e-commerce manager for Tom’s Foreign Auto Parts.  “We’ll have our products ready to take full advantage of higher search rankings and an improved buyer experience.”

The launch is currently limited to the U.S. and will initially only include the following categories:

· Air Intake & Fuel Delivery

· Exterior

· Lamps & Accessories

· Lighting

· Tires

· Wheels

For full details on ChannelAdvisor’s new product enhancement, please visit http://ssc.channeladvisor.com/news/2010-february-release-notes.  Current ChannelAdvisor customers can also tune in to a webinar being hosted by Wingo on February 24, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. ET to discuss these changes and how to make sure your company is poised to immediately take advantage.  Register for the webinar at www.channeladvisor.com/webin

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Transcript:
Hey folks. My name is Charles Lumpkin. I appreciate you spending some time with me today. We’re going to talk about common landing page test types. Now, why even test landing pages? What we’re talking about is trying to get the conversion rate up on our pages. More conversion equals more money in the bank, which is what we’re looking for in online marketing.

So, what are the common landing page test types? The two most common are split testing and multi-variant testing. I’m going to get deep into split testing right now and save multi-variant testing for a later video.

In a split test, you have two or more versions of a particular landing page. When you’re initially starting out with a new campaign or a new test you want to make sure that these different variations are as different as possible, as they can be from one another. You really want to go as far out as you can with different ideas. So brainstorm and think of some really cool stuff, but when you put them out there, what you’re going to do is run half the traffic through each lander.

One of those is going to produce results that are better than the others. Again, you need to be tracking this stuff and have the proper analytics in place. At the end of the day, one is going to work better than the other. From that point on, that becomes your control. Then if you want to continue to do more split tests, you bring in more variations. Does this control continue to win? Who knows, you’ve got to do the tests.

Thanks for spending some time with me today. Again, my name is Charles Lumpkin. You can find more of me at CharlesLumpkin.com. Thank you.

Each One, Teach One Topical Discussion here on Thursday of last week was on  branding for your business here on the ColderICE.com blog. It was a FANTASTIC discussion and we will venture into this again this week.

Each Thursday we will post a topic related to us as merchants and the the COMMUNITY…YOU GUYS will come in on the comments and post. You can post your comments on the subject, links to articles or posts to other blogs on the topic, you can post links to YouTube videos or Podcast episodes. I do not care what you post as long as it furthers the education of the community, it qualifies. But of course this will ONLY work if you participate. I want to see if the community would participate to make it great. Come on guys, lets each one, teach one!!!

Topic is… Keyword Research: What is it? How can you do it? What techniques are important?

OK, I need your input now so lets start posting to the thread topical information on Brands and Branding.