In my work with small/medium businesses and entrepreneurs, I hear a near-constant refrain: overwhelm, overwork, and lack of productivity. While there’s no one silver bullet that can solve all of these problems in one fell swoop, choosing and implementing the right technology can make a HUGE difference not only to how you work, but to your overall bottom line in your business.

In particular, online or cloud-based tools (that is, applications or services that you access via the internet, instead of being installed on your computer) have a number of benefits for your small business. With online tools, you don’t have to worry about computer compatibility and you won’t need an IT person to make sure your software works – as long as you have access to a browser, everything is handled on the service’s end. Also, many cloud services are either low-cost or free, which can be a huge boon to a small business – no more $500+ outlay of cash for an upgrade to your office software suite. Plus, you have the added benefit of being able to access your data from any computer, anywhere.

Even though online tools can be great, as with any technology, you need to choose wisely. You want to look for cloud services that solve a real business need that you’re having – whether it’s CRM, project management, accounting and finance, or something else entirely – and choose a tool that will bridge that gap for you. Gain some skill and mastery with that tool, and then move on to solving another business need. Don’t make the mistake that I see all too often of signing up for multiple services at one time – that can lead to even more overwhelm than when you started, and you’re not likely to solve your problems when you’re in a state of overwhelm.

To make the selection process a bit easier, I’ve created a curated list of some of my favorite services, tools, and apps. Since I’m constantly checking out new cloud services, I’ve spent my time separating the wheat from the chaff. If you’d like to leverage the work that I’ve already done, my list is yours for the taking here.

A big part of my job is helping my clients navigate the seemingly endless array of online tools that are available. I know it can be daunting! I’m always on the lookout for tools that are specifically designed for small businesses, and especially ones where the company actually cares about the needs and goals of SMBs and entrepreneurs. I partnered with Deem as we have the same philosophy toward empowering small businesses, to maximize their productivity and find success.

Joshua Zerkel is a Certified Professional Organizer® and the founder of Custom Living Solutions, a San Francisco-based productivity and organizing consulting firm. Josh is also a two-term past President of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Although he doesn’t consider himself freakishly organized, Josh does admit to spending some of his free time alphabetizing his comic books.  You can find Josh online at  or follow him on Twitter.

As I continue to have these conversations, it is reinforced for me that small businesses are the backbone of the American Economy. According to the Small Business Association (SBA), small businesses create two-thirds of net new jobs in the U.S., and over half of all working Americans either own or work for a small business. And as there is still tremendous ongoing pressure and uncertainty, adversity is nothing new for our small business customers.  And they, along with their employees, are stretching themselves to the limit as they look to grow their businesses with hard work and dedication. In talking to small business folks, this small business balancing act definitely comes to life for me. I know technology can help small businesses manage some of this burden — which is why we’re working so hard to make Deem at Work a time- and money-saving solution for small businesses.

I’m excited to be attending this week’s San Francisco Small Businesses Week, recognizing the “Heroes of Our Economy” and celebrating the contributions small businesses make to our cities and towns. Small businesses are coming together to collaborate, join forces and inspire each other — finding ways to not only survive but to thrive. Team Deem is participating in the conference and talking with small business owners about their views on business productivity. (Watch this space for more results of these conversations.) We’re also inviting small businesses to try Deem at Work, which gives them big business buying power. We believe it will help make the jobs of small businesses a little bit easier.

Let’s do what we can to support small businesses, and help them thrive. And if you are also at the San Francisco Small Business Week conference, please come talk with us about your business at our booth in the Expo!

Randy Reynolds is a small business champion and Vice President, Product Management at Rearden Commerce.

Sean Madden wrote a compelling piece for Fast Company entitled, “How Companies Like Amazon Use Big Data To Make You Love Them.” Sean cites the fact that customer loyalty is rarely cited as a benefit of Big Data: for example not by McKinsey’s omnibus report on Big Data and not by The Wall Street Journal’s Big Data blog series. Sean, you are right-on in saying, “Efficiency is a worthwhile goal, but from a customer’s perspective, data has far more power at the personal level.” Sean recommends five ways companies can harness Big Data/Personal Data to show customers you love them. It is well worth a read.

At Rearden Commerce, we’ve long been fans of the Amazon model. And our Deem Analytics team works diligently each day to improve relevance and personalization across our consumer and B2B platforms. With our vision to perfect commerce, it’s not enough to win those side-by-side comparisons. We must truly delight our customers.

As a long-time mobile enthusiast, I am excited to see so many people embracing mobile to travel smarter. We’re extremely close to an era when travelers will easily book and access their itineraries, make changes to their flights, find a hotel, book a taxi, make a dining reservation, and find great local offers — all from their mobile devices. Business travel will be less of a headache and leisure travel will be a whole lot more fun and collaborative.

The smartphone conversion cycle has only just begun. So let’s think big! In the not too distant future, I’ll be talking to an agent to book travel again, except it will be a virtual agent in my smartphone. What are you most eager to do with your smartphone while traveling? Tell us in the comments below.

*Adult as I may be, I am happy to report that Pew Research tells me I am 79% Millennial, hip to the coming of age generation. Take the survey to see How Millennial You Are here.

This behavioral shift has brought attention to the concept of Consumerization of IT, what Wells Fargo Securities says is a holistic change that “is going to reshape how technology is built, sold, and delivered.” Wells Fargo, in conjunction with its Tech Transformation Summit, has released an equity research report titled “Bizumers Rise Up! The Driving Force in The Consumerization of IT.” “Bizumers,” Wells’ tag for business consumers of technology, are the driving catalyst in consumerization. The report speaks to how bizumer technology solutions – still in early stages of development – will differ from the enterprise tech solutions of today, citing 10 major principles and indicating, “These design principles are not only going to reshape corporate IT but also the tech industry”. Consumerization is the new norm.

I firmly believe user experience is everything when you are driving commerce – it’s why I founded Rearden and why we’ve built Deem. The consumerization of IT will drive better user experiences across the board, as companies will be forced to think of customers and employees as the individuals they are. More ammunition for the Smart Commerce revolution!

The Mobile Wallet

Today only one-quarter of Americans are comfortable using a mobile app that would store credit card information, allowing them to make purchases at a retailer or business as they would with a credit card, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll. But it’s interesting to me just how many forms of electronic payment there are, and how simple they are to use — from my desk or my smartphone. I can store my credit card for use with a merchant, use electronic bill pay or peer-to-peer payment networks. There are QR and barcode readers tied to my credit card as well as a Premium SMS initiative that bills purchases or donations directly to my phone bill. At “Bricks and Mortar” establishments there are Google Wallet-type services and geo-fencing services just around the corner.

Millions of people conduct billions of dollars in e-commerce each year — with more than $35 billion spent during the 2011 holiday season according to ComScore. We freely link our credit cards to the Apple iStore and Amazon.com. So many people are comfortable downloading music to their iPhones and e-books to their tablets. So why do 90% of the people I ask tell me that they have not used mobile payments? Where is the disconnect?

They are thinking of the futuristic idea of swiping your phone instead of a credit card — what is called a mobile wallet. The hurdles are high for consumers to embrace the mobile wallet concept — but certainly not insurmountable. First and foremost, security must be addressed to educate consumers and to limit fraud. A mobile wallet will actually be more secure than traditional credit cards! Second, behavior must change — people must have a compelling reason to change their habits (beyond “You won’t need to carry your wallet anymore”) and the industry must clearly communicate these reasons to consumers.

When I look at the future of mobile payment, here’s what I see.  What if when you entered a store, the business and its suppliers alerted you to where to find the items you seek and where you might be able to save money (much as Amazon does today when recommending a book)?  What if you could scan a code in a store and buy it all securely from your phone?  Stop and Shop grocery chain is three-quarters of the way there — they provide the ability for you to check out each of your items as you walk through the store, using your smart phone.  A natural extension of that convenience is the ability to pay with your phone.  For consumers, the technology is there, but behavior must converge with technology for one convenient, secure, uniform experience to be possible.

We stand today at a crossroads. Today’s technology capabilities are outpacing consumer behavior. Though many of us will wait hours in line for the latest iPhone or iPad we still don’t take full advantage of the convenience, time-savings and environmental benefits of mobile payments. Consumers have to adopt and merchants have to offer a mobile payment alternative. If the Merchant can’t take your mobile payment, you are both out of luck.  So think about how you will use mobile payments in the future. It’s not far off.

Tnooz recently published a piece by Jason Dickson, citing recent PhoCusWright research covering the levels of frustration travelers endure when booking trips online. PhoCusWright found that 48% of travelers in the US have been frustrated by their online travel experience — with the leading complaint (not surprisingly) being “I had to sift through too much information.” With this, the author states, “The business opportunity here is clear — the site with the most helpful browsing experience will likely be the one that becomes the regular traveler’s default option.”

Yes! With Deem Travel, we are building a platform that provides individuals and groups with a personalized experience for discovering and planning travel. Our relevance engine does the work of information sorting, relying heavily on analytics to connect people quickly and effortlessly to the most relevant flights, hotels, rental cars, restaurants and more — all while helping them collaborate on trip plans with friends, family and co-workers. Our mobile app makes it simple to make purchases and change itineraries from the road. In short, Deem is designed to take the hassle out of the entire trip lifecycle.

It’s innovative, yet entirely logical. With Deem, we are confident we have the opportunity to evolve entire industries, beyond travel. The future of commerce and travel will be driven by personalization and user collaboration. We are closer than ever to our mission of perfecting commerce.

All customers are not created equal. The ability to understand and use data to recognize the value of different customers through programs such as tiering is complex. In fact, Brands struggle with integrating relevant and personalized messages and information across all customer touchpoints. Applying customer insights in a timely and relevant way in the path of commerce creates even more challenges for Brands. Loyalty marketers need to have the right analytical capabilities to do this correctly; otherwise they risk negatively impacting customer satisfaction. Technology has become a critical ingredient to deliver not only the ‘wow’ factor, but in raising the bar in terms of differentiating the customer experience. Applying segmentation and personalization strategies in new emerging channels, such as social and mobile, can be even more daunting without the right technology tools.

For consumers, loyalty is driven by the relationship that they have with a Brand. Ultimately, if the Brand delivers on a promise, recognizes the customer and shows genuine appreciation for their business, consumer loyalty will naturally follow. Across the board, consumers report a declining perspective on loyalty programs with regard to saving money, delivering real value and influencing future purchases. And relatively few consumers are interacting with brands online or via mobile devices. However, despite overall customer frustration with loyalty programs, Forrester reports that consumers who actively participate in loyalty programs have deeper engagements with those Brands. Specifically, customers will engage with Brands online or via mobile and will advocate for those Brands. This is fabulous news.

So let’s do loyalty marketing the right way and give consumers what they want: great products supported by meaningful loyalty programs with real value, the functionality to recognize them and to deliver an experience that is relevant and simplifies their lives.  And if that just happens to involve cool technology, like making it easy to plan my son’s 6^th birthday party and to buy 10 Sharks Tickets and 10 “Sharky” shirts from my iPhone, so be it.

As an example, one of the most important pieces of information we account for is on-time performance for flights.  Accost a random traveler from the business rank and file and ask him how he avoids arriving at his destination late (or not at all) from a cross-country flight. Chances are you’ll hear “don’t connect through O’Hare in winter” or a similar pearl of folk traveling wisdom. But what’s Plan B? After all, winter is winter. Perhaps the alternative will be just as risky. Out of the frying pan, into the fire, as they say, or in this case, out of the ‘fridge, into the freezer.

Many common connection points are subject to weather delays. Weather is but one factor, as you can well guess. The national network of US airports is complex system that works well much of the time, but as the data show, it struggles under peak loads.

Anecdotes and conventional wisdom have their place, but the data are paramount. To demonstrate some of the analytics driving Deem, we have prepared an animated infographic depicting seasonal patterns in on-time flight performance based on the last ten years of flight data by US airport.  In this case, the data is carrier-agnostic — meant more to help us help our customers plan the best air travel routes, supported by a decade of hour-by-hour data. The video speaks for itself, but you’ll notice some interesting regional and nationwide phenomena you may not have known about.  For example:

1. Winter is indeed fraught with flight delays, but the summer vacation period is just as bad. Interestingly, July 4^th is a notable exception — averaging exceptional on-time performance. (Perhaps folks would rather watch fireworks from the ground than out an airplane window.)
2. At the end of the school year, the system sweeps from better than average on-time performance to worse starting in the southeast and sweeping toward the northwest — mapping directly to the timing that school districts set the kids free for the summer.
3. The system returns to better performance, sweeping from northwest to southeast just prior to July 4^th, then improves again across the board in late August as schools come back online.
4. Best month to fly: April. Secondarily, with some regional exceptions, September until Thanksgiving is a good time to fly.
5. Worst month to fly: December. (No explanation needed.)

SiliconANGLE ran a piece this morning on this data, citing the importance of Big Data as an area of research across the travel industry, for its vast potential in bringing benefit to travelers.  We couldn’t agree more.

Take a look at the animated infographic, and play with the playback speed settings to inspect particular regions at particular times of the year more closely.