Every now and then I get asked about design protection. The answer is yes you should do it if you think you have something to protect. It can however be quite complicated so before you start you need to get your head around what protection you actually need. You can go to a simple introduction on this site www.allbrook.net/intelligence/protection.html and then I suggest you make for Trevor Baylis' site (yes he of clockwork radio fame) at http://bit.ly/3Ie2bz.
He is a bit of a fanatic when it comes to design protection so that is why it is worth listening to what he has to say. His company even offers consultancy.
A lot of what you do is covered by copyright, but I recommend trademarking names that you want to keep and use long term. It is only when you get into registered designs and patents that things start getting both complex and pricey but like I say if it's worth protecting...
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Time to get back to work
Funny old year 2009, a summer that never materialised a deep recession with high unemployment... oh and a lot of people just not doing very much, horns retracted! Well it's September now holidays are over, it is time to get back to work and make the economy sing again.
From a marketing point of view the number one step is to remind your clients that you still exist, get in touch, get out and meet them take them out to lunch. Whatever you do just make sure you actually DO something!
You can DO other things too, refresh your website, start writing that blog again, be out there!
...oh I forgot and do it with style!
From a marketing point of view the number one step is to remind your clients that you still exist, get in touch, get out and meet them take them out to lunch. Whatever you do just make sure you actually DO something!
You can DO other things too, refresh your website, start writing that blog again, be out there!
...oh I forgot and do it with style!
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Marketing Gold
In times of recession businesses are always looking for new customers however the 'gold' might be found in a business' own records. That's right if you can access your own customers effectively you can market to them safe in the knowledge that they are probably already onside.
I wonder why so many companies fail to exploit their own customer records. Quite often it is because the information is 'stuck' in a system and difficult to retrieve, sometimes there are worries about marketing to customers because of data protection issues.
The main point here is that customers can be a business' most valuable asset, there may be many reasons why they have not bought from you for some time. Nurture them, keep in touch and trust that they have a reason to come back if you have not heard from them for some time.
How? Hmm, how big is your business? CRM, Salesforce.com, Goldmine... actually there will always be a technical solution but that alone will not do it. It needs to be part and parcel of the culture.
I wonder why so many companies fail to exploit their own customer records. Quite often it is because the information is 'stuck' in a system and difficult to retrieve, sometimes there are worries about marketing to customers because of data protection issues.
The main point here is that customers can be a business' most valuable asset, there may be many reasons why they have not bought from you for some time. Nurture them, keep in touch and trust that they have a reason to come back if you have not heard from them for some time.
How? Hmm, how big is your business? CRM, Salesforce.com, Goldmine... actually there will always be a technical solution but that alone will not do it. It needs to be part and parcel of the culture.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Web 2.0
Twitter, Facebook, blogging are all part of the Web 2.0 scene and with the 'Y' generation joining the workforce in numbers, it is worth recognising that in this 24/7 world people can be connected almost all of the time.
Unfortunately there are a lot of businesses jumping on the band wagon, so of course they have Twitter and Facebook accounts and tweet and post regularly. The problem is that most of these communications are corporate in style and that to my mind turns people off and debases the power of the medium. It's all about the appropriate language and communication skills.
My advice, is to lighten up and throw away the formal straight jacket. If your company does want to get involved and has something interesting to say rather than just something to promote take the conversational approach drop the jargon and imagine you are talking to your interested neighbour rather than somebody already in the know.
Pip pip!
Unfortunately there are a lot of businesses jumping on the band wagon, so of course they have Twitter and Facebook accounts and tweet and post regularly. The problem is that most of these communications are corporate in style and that to my mind turns people off and debases the power of the medium. It's all about the appropriate language and communication skills.
My advice, is to lighten up and throw away the formal straight jacket. If your company does want to get involved and has something interesting to say rather than just something to promote take the conversational approach drop the jargon and imagine you are talking to your interested neighbour rather than somebody already in the know.
Pip pip!
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Software Upgrades
I have been using Microsoft Word and Excel on a Mac since about 1988. I
have probably upgraded more times than I care to remember and yes along with each new iteration there is some new feature that seems pretty neat at the time.
Last year the time came to upgrade to Office 2008 for Mac and I didn't take the plunge. Why? I just couldn't justify it. It seemed extravagant. Instead I purchased iWork '08 for the Mac but although this was a decent, very good value suite of software, I work almost entirely in the Windows world so sharing documents between platforms is essential and iWork doesn't make this easy, even in its latest '09 iteration.
I know companies have to make money by upgrading their software, but the Office upgrade is too much (especially if there is a major interface change to learn when you do) and the iWork upgrade isn't even that, you just buy the latest version, no concession to loyalty at all. The same with Bento, FileMaker Inc's basic database app. If you want to upgrade you have no choice you just have to buy the latest £29 version. OK I agree a no brainer for most.
Upgrading software should be about providing greater productivity rather than functionality. What can I do quicker, better, more intuitively than I could with the previous version? This comes first...then come the fantastic new features which make you appear super talented!
It is as simple as that. When is an upgrade an upgrade? When it's worth it.
have probably upgraded more times than I care to remember and yes along with each new iteration there is some new feature that seems pretty neat at the time.
Last year the time came to upgrade to Office 2008 for Mac and I didn't take the plunge. Why? I just couldn't justify it. It seemed extravagant. Instead I purchased iWork '08 for the Mac but although this was a decent, very good value suite of software, I work almost entirely in the Windows world so sharing documents between platforms is essential and iWork doesn't make this easy, even in its latest '09 iteration.
I know companies have to make money by upgrading their software, but the Office upgrade is too much (especially if there is a major interface change to learn when you do) and the iWork upgrade isn't even that, you just buy the latest version, no concession to loyalty at all. The same with Bento, FileMaker Inc's basic database app. If you want to upgrade you have no choice you just have to buy the latest £29 version. OK I agree a no brainer for most.
Upgrading software should be about providing greater productivity rather than functionality. What can I do quicker, better, more intuitively than I could with the previous version? This comes first...then come the fantastic new features which make you appear super talented!
It is as simple as that. When is an upgrade an upgrade? When it's worth it.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Windows on a Mac
I am having to access Microsoft CRM over the Internet which also requires Internet Explorer. I do not own a PC but my Mac can now run Windows as well as OSX
It is easy. You can either set up a partition on your Mac's hard disk and use Apple's built-in Bootcamp or use Virtual Machine software.
Bootcamp is OK but it means every time you want to run Windows you have to quit the Max OS and boot up in Windows.
The Virtual Machine option means that Windows can simply run in a window under Mac OSX ... with complete drag and drop integration. I used VM Fusion and Windows Vista. It took a while to install but everything seems to work fine. There is some hit on performance but it is really acceptable.
Still prefer my Mac though.
It is easy. You can either set up a partition on your Mac's hard disk and use Apple's built-in Bootcamp or use Virtual Machine software.
Bootcamp is OK but it means every time you want to run Windows you have to quit the Max OS and boot up in Windows.
The Virtual Machine option means that Windows can simply run in a window under Mac OSX ... with complete drag and drop integration. I used VM Fusion and Windows Vista. It took a while to install but everything seems to work fine. There is some hit on performance but it is really acceptable.
Still prefer my Mac though.
GimmeSomeTunes
Sometimes I come across software that is just fantastic and I want to tell everybody about it.
Today I found GimmeSomeTunes (http://www.eternalstorms.at/gimmesometune/) which is just that..fantastic! If you have a Mac and are running OS X 10.5 or above with iTunes, this software goes out onto the web and grabs song lyrics and album cover artwork as you play each tune. Once you have played a tune the lyrics are in iTunes and that's it.
You can choose to view lyrics or not and there are some nice interface tweaks and even an Internet Radio facility. Go to the website I implore you, it explains it much better than I can. Another great reason for running a Mac! Enjoy.
Today I found GimmeSomeTunes (http://www.eternalstorms.at/gimmesometune/) which is just that..fantastic! If you have a Mac and are running OS X 10.5 or above with iTunes, this software goes out onto the web and grabs song lyrics and album cover artwork as you play each tune. Once you have played a tune the lyrics are in iTunes and that's it.
You can choose to view lyrics or not and there are some nice interface tweaks and even an Internet Radio facility. Go to the website I implore you, it explains it much better than I can. Another great reason for running a Mac! Enjoy.
Saturday, 17 January 2009
That Twitter Thing
Twice in the last few months the news has got out first through Twitter. Twitter in case you didn't already know is a micro-blogging service. (Humph what's that!)
First it was the terror strikes in Mumbai and then last week it was the Hudson River air crash in New York. A passer by took a picture on his iPhone and posted the image using Twitter on to an associated website (http://twitpic.com/135xa) and he got there way before the networks who were still up in their helicopters looking for the plane. The pic got some nearly 100,000 views within hours of the post.
So what does this say about Twitter, well some eminent journalists have likened it to a very cheap and not very reliable news agency but for me it has all sorts of other applications, for the most part keeping in touch and making connections... a member of the family on holiday comes to mind, student backpacking that sort of thing. All you need to do is let your mind wander and all sorts of other things seem possible... go on let your imagination run riot! Just imagine if someone took a few pics of Jean Charles de Menezes that fateful day in July 2005.
There's lots of software out there for PCs, Macs and smartphones and apparently you can even get involved using Facebook, SMS or Instant Messaging. The iPhone has lots of free client software but I have started using Tweetie today on the strength of the New York story break!
First it was the terror strikes in Mumbai and then last week it was the Hudson River air crash in New York. A passer by took a picture on his iPhone and posted the image using Twitter on to an associated website (http://twitpic.com/135xa) and he got there way before the networks who were still up in their helicopters looking for the plane. The pic got some nearly 100,000 views within hours of the post.
So what does this say about Twitter, well some eminent journalists have likened it to a very cheap and not very reliable news agency but for me it has all sorts of other applications, for the most part keeping in touch and making connections... a member of the family on holiday comes to mind, student backpacking that sort of thing. All you need to do is let your mind wander and all sorts of other things seem possible... go on let your imagination run riot! Just imagine if someone took a few pics of Jean Charles de Menezes that fateful day in July 2005.
There's lots of software out there for PCs, Macs and smartphones and apparently you can even get involved using Facebook, SMS or Instant Messaging. The iPhone has lots of free client software but I have started using Tweetie today on the strength of the New York story break!
Friday, 9 January 2009
Proper URLs
Well the site now has proper URLs, so what you see in the browser title bar reflects what you see on the web page and it was so easy.
The more I play with RapidWeaver, 'play' being the operative word, the more impressed I am. So far this simple site has Twitter, Skype, LinkeIn and Google Analytics and it was all relatively easy to do. For anyone with a Mac wanting to build a simple website I would recommend it.
The more I play with RapidWeaver, 'play' being the operative word, the more impressed I am. So far this simple site has Twitter, Skype, LinkeIn and Google Analytics and it was all relatively easy to do. For anyone with a Mac wanting to build a simple website I would recommend it.
Monday, 5 January 2009
A Proper Blog
Whoa! My website now has a proper blog. This one can be viewed on both blogger.com and right here on my website. This site is developed in RapidWeaver, a Mac only theme based web creation package that in my opinion has a lot going for it. For any of you who are interested visit:
http://www.realmacsoftware.com
RapidWeaver has a vibrant developer community producing themes and plugins that add functionality to the basic package. This site uses the Chameleon theme from Elixir Graphics (http://www.elixirgraphics.com/themes/chameleon/index.html) the Blocks plugin from YourHead Software (http://www.yourhead.com/blocks) and the RapidBlog plugin from Loghound.com (http://loghound.com/rapidblog/index.html). This last plugin enables you to use Google Blogger, and thus be able to create blog posts from anywhere with an Internet connection and links them directly to your own website. You can also create a post within RapidWeaver, publish it and hey presto it also appears on blogger.com.
The Blocks plugin is also very good and I plan to use it extensively as I develop this site. The Twitter, Skype and LinkedIn links were all dropped in with ease using Blocks.
That's it for now.
http://www.realmacsoftware.com
RapidWeaver has a vibrant developer community producing themes and plugins that add functionality to the basic package. This site uses the Chameleon theme from Elixir Graphics (http://www.elixirgraphics.com/themes/chameleon/index.html) the Blocks plugin from YourHead Software (http://www.yourhead.com/blocks) and the RapidBlog plugin from Loghound.com (http://loghound.com/rapidblog/index.html). This last plugin enables you to use Google Blogger, and thus be able to create blog posts from anywhere with an Internet connection and links them directly to your own website. You can also create a post within RapidWeaver, publish it and hey presto it also appears on blogger.com.
The Blocks plugin is also very good and I plan to use it extensively as I develop this site. The Twitter, Skype and LinkedIn links were all dropped in with ease using Blocks.
That's it for now.
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