Brent's Social CRM Blog

Details on How You Can Win the 2011 Small Business Technology Kick-start Package Featuring the HP ProBook 4425s

Thanks to everyone who has spread the word about the Kick-start package. As I recap, Hewlett Packard (HP) has given me a laptop - a brand new HP ProBook 4425s notebook computer, powered by AMD - that I'd like to give to a small business person.

Not only has HP stepped up here to make this happen, but the following great products have been donated to me to include in the giveaway:

• BlackBerry Torch
• Microsoft Office 2010 Pro
• Sage ACT! 2011
• Adobe Acrobat X Pro
• Intuit Quickbooks Plus Online subscription

If you'd like to have chance to win this package, all you have to do send me an email describing how you would be able to use this package to help your business get off to a quick start in 2011. You can be a new startup, or an experienced small business. If you'd like to nominate someone other than yourself, please feel free to do so! Here's what you need to know:

· Keep your contest essays to 500 words or less

· Send it to me by 3pm ET Monday December 27^th

· Include company information, website, social networks you belong to, blogs, etc. (this is not included in essay word count)

· The winner has to have a US address, as I will only ship it within the US

· There will be only one winner

· The winner will be announced the first week of the new year

· Email entries should be sent to Brent [at] BrentLeary [dot] com with the subject line of 2011 Technology Kick-start Contest

That's it! I will select the winner from the entries that come in by 3pm ET December 27^th. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at the address above.

Once again a big thanks to HP for inspiring this idea - and for all the vendors who are pitching in great small business products to make this a truly awesome package. And finally thanks once again to everybody who checked out my blog and columns throughout the years.

Technorati : adobe, blackberry, hp, intuit, microsoft, probook, sage, torch
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2011 Small Business Technology Kick-Start Giveaway Just Went Mobile

I've been under the weather the last few days, but I'm starting to get back up to speed again. And while I had to shut it down for a bit, the giveaway I'm doing - inspired by HP's idea to provide a brand new AMD-powered HP ProBook 4425s notebook computer, is picking up a lot of steam.

As a quick recap, HP is giving me the laptop to give away. On it's own that's a really cool thing to start 2011 with. And the best way to make the most of a great laptop, is to have some great software running on it. So in addition to the ProBook, we have Microsoft Office 2010, Sage ACT! 2010, Adobe Acrobat X Pro, and a Quicbooks Plus subscription from Intuit as part of the Kick-Start.

I think the ProBook and the accompanying software and services should help any small business person get off to a quick start in 2011. But one thing that I thought would be nice to add to the package was a great mobile device. Thankfully, my friends at Research In Motion have provided me with a brand new BlackBerry Torch to add to the ProBook and all the great business software.

So now we've got an absolutely great set of tools any small business person would be glad to start 2011 with...including this one. And the next time you hear from me about this, get ready to throw your hat into the ring, because one person is going to Kick-Start 2011 with this incredible package!

Once again a big thanks to HP for inspiring this idea - and for all the vendors who are pitching in great small business products to make this a truly awesome package. And finally thanks once again to everybody who checked out my blog and various columns throughout the years. Stay tuned!

Technorati : adobe acrobat, blackberry torch, hp, intuit quickbooks, microsoft office 2010, probook, sage act!
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Social Media + Mobility + You = Small Biz Success

I'm back! Just returned yesterday from my first international speaking gig in beautiful Buenos Aires, Argentina. Will do a full post on that later, but for now on with the show...

I am very excited to be teaming up with two great partners - small business expert and publisher of Small Business Trends Anita Campbell, and BlackBerry - to organize a 4 part webinar series we're calling Small Business Wednesday Webinars. The whole idea behind the series is to provide small business types like you and me an opportunity to learn some best practices for utilizing social networks, mobile devices and other technologies to better connect with today's socially-empowered customers and prospects. And let's face the facts here - if you want to give your business the best chance to succeed in "The Social Age" you'll have to figure out how to use this stuff to reach people that are in constant motion.

We're lining up a group of really sharp small business professionals and experts to share their knowledge and experiences with using social media, online services, and mobile applications to build strong business relationships in the age of social media. Subjects the experts will be tackling include:

• Using Social Media to Connect with On-The-Go Customers
• Using Online Services and Mobile Apps to Save Time and Money
• 5 Ways to Measure The Impact of Your Social Media Activities
• Must-have Technologies for Competing in Today's Market

Each webinar will be 60 minutes long.

The series kicks off Wednesday September 23, 2009 at 1:00 pm ET (New York time) with a discussion on using social media to connect with today's mobile customer. Featured small business professionals for this webinar include Pamela O'Hara of social CRM vendor BatchBlue, and Network Solutions' Shashi Bellamkonda - also known to many online as the Social Media Swami.

Go here for more information and to register.

We'll be providing more information on the series shortly. If you'd like to keep up with series developments, here are a few ways to easily do so:

• Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/smbmobility
• Participate in webinar series conversations on Twitter using the #smbmobility hashtag
• Join the #smbmobility group on http://Twubs.com/smbmobility

Anita and I hope you'll have an opportunity to join us the next few Wednesdays as we learn how to utilize these important new tools and strategies to better connect with today's socially-empowered, on-the-go customer. Thanks again to the folks at BlackBerry for making this possible!

Technorati : blackberry, mobility, small business, social media, webinar
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