Tech Matters

What Makes A Great Web Solution

2011-03-08T22:19:49Z

The problem with web design is that many people have a focus on the design and the widgets. We cannot forget search engines. Personally, while still the reigning method for finding things the search space is getting ever-increasingly crowded by aggregation sites.

How easy is it to use software to trawl the web for automated listings. Voila - another aggregation web site. Then SEO and Adwords puts that site right up in the listings from everything from holidays through to the latest digital device.

A great web solution needs to relate to your real world and reflect how you operate. This is the imperative. By having a website that does this you send a consistent and professional message to existing and new customers. Often people look at your website simply to gauge your operation in the pre-sales stage. Anyway, there is much more to be said on this topic.

Holographic television the next thing after 3D

2011-02-14T00:49:58Z

I was at Chadstone shopping centre on the weekend and spoke to one of the David Jones sales assistants in their electrical department. The 3D television is the new star of this department. The Panasonic 3D tv uses blu-ray videos to produce the best 3D effect. The Samsung 3D tvs and others use virtual 3D to convert any signal into a 3D like experience.

3D television looks great but the human eye is a wonder and ultimately it is possible to detect that your eyes are being tricked. This is a flat world acting like it has 3 dimensions. In my mind it looks like a moving version of the old View Master.

Well this type of viewing is remarkable but the human eye is even more so. I could detect that I was being tricked into thinking flatworld was 3D. Therefore it got me wondering what would solve this issue in the future. And I found this video about holographic television.

Now this made me interested in holographic television and having seen the attached video I suspect this form of television will be well and truly available as a mainstream product by 2020.

Let me know your thoughts?

Small Business Web Essentials - Setting Up a Business To Succeed

2010-10-25T00:45:42Z

BUSINESS NAME
The first step for a small business going online is to consider what business name you want to trade under. Business names can be registered in any state in Australia. Here is an example:

For example You can register a business name in Qld which you want to trade under. Pay the registration fee of $129.75 for 1 year or $248.20 for 3 years - http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/business-names.htm
Here are links for business name registration other states and territories

ABN
You will need an Australia Business Number (ABN) for your new business and you need to decide about whether to do GST from the start or wait until you are generating significant revenue.

You don’t need to claim GST if your revenue is below $75K p.a. but it makes a business look more professional (albeit you collect tax on behalf of the government). Doing GST creates a higher bookkeeping and accounting burden.

DOMAIN NAME
You should align your business name with a domain name.

e.g. Business name Fantazzo Deals and fantazzodeals.com.au

To search availability try www.netregistry.com.au . Of course we can organise a domain name for you. Sometimes people try to get a domain that is available both as “.com.au” and “.com”. This is helpful if you want to trade outside Australia or just secure the .com domain for the future.

BUSINESS ACCOUNT
It is worth while setting up a business account for your new business. These typically cost between $5 and $15 per month. You might have a preference with a particular bank. Being able to see your account online with your other savings accounts / credit cards is useful.

SEED FUNDS
It is worthwhile putting some money into a business account to start with. This makes you manage your available funds carefully plus keep all business expenditures separate from the start.

You can also tie an interest bearing account in the business name eg. Bankwest to earn money on these funds until you are ready to use them.

BOOKKEEPING AND ACCOUNTING
Make sure you have a good strategy in place for bookkeeping (yourself or provider) from the start. You will be required to account for this businesses related expenses and then produce invoices as the two key initial processes.

Here are two bookkeeping services that we would recommend:

IB Skills www.ibskills.com.au
Business Lynx www.businesslynx.com.au

In this critical area of running your business have a think, do some research and write some notes about how you are going to do this.

EXPERIENCED GUIDANCE
Never underestimate the value of learning from someone else’s mistakes. This is a sure fire way to safeguard your business from making those mistakes all over again. At IONRAD, we can assist you with making sure your business has the best chance to succeed. We provide planning and mentoring advice during start up and as the business matures can share our experiences with you so that the way forward is less bumpy. Why not talk to us now – contact us.

Small Business Web Essentials - Backup and Recovery

2010-08-19T04:34:54Z

Disaster for a small business can be as small as a single hard drive on a laptop falling over. But it doesn't have to be the case. One of the facts of life as a small business is that computers can crash and leave you without the myriad of information needed to maintain business operations. What can you do differently?

Small Business Web Essentials - Introduction

2010-08-19T04:16:57Z

Small businesses (SMEs) are the biggest beneficiaries of the post-dotcom era. Yet many miss out on the spoils that are available. There are now more online services available for small business than ever before and you should know what these are but time is of the essence when running and growing a small business.