Old Colony Group

By AUSTIN CONSIDINE
NY Times
Published: April 1, 2011

FROM Cairo to Madison, Wis., much has been made about the positive role technology has played in helping galvanize and organize populist movements.

The downside? Like the dreaded telescreen in George Orwell’s “1984,” technologies like the Internet and cellphones are proving just as useful for spying as they are for communicating, making the choice to hit “call” or “send” an increasingly risky one.

Read the full article here.

In the Twitter echo chamber, all it takes is a few users with big follower counts to share something. With one click, those followers share it with their own followers. And the wildfire is set ablaze.

As a result, news spreads faster than ever. Twitter's real-time news flow has been cited as a tool in citizen uprisings in Iran and Egypt and as invaluable for fundraising efforts for crisis situations like last year's floods in Haiti.

Read the full article here and see what Twitter can do for you.

Internet Donors Fuel Obama - Word of Democrat Hillary Clinton's apparent financial problems struck many as a surprise yesterday. So what explains why her chief rival, Barack Obama, was able to vastly out-raise her in January?

One key lies in Clinton's comparative difficulty raising money over the Internet, from small donors, said Stephen Weissman of the Campaign Finance Institute.

Coming into January, many more of Clinton's donors had already reached the $2,300 limit for individual donations. A report just completed by the Campaign Finance Institute showed that Clinton raised more than half her money in 2007 from donors who gave the maximum allowed by law. Obama, in comparison, raised just one-third of his money from $2,300 donors.

"It means Senator Obama has the ability to keep going back to his donors, while she has a more difficult burden of having to seek out new donors," said Weissman, who is the institute's associate director for policy.

Clinton also had more trouble attracting support from small donors, many of whom gave over the Internet. While 47 percent of what Obama raised last year came from donors who gave less than $200, those small contributors made up just 15 percent of Clinton's donor base.

In January, when Obama swamped Clinton by raising $32 million, compared to her $13 million, the vast majority of his total -- $28 million -- came over the Internet.

There are a number of reasons Obama has had more success with Internet fundraising (just yesterday, he raised nearly $4 million online). One likely component was the endorsement of him by the 2004 Democratic nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry. Kerry made use of his extensive e-mail fundraising list to help raise money for Obama online. Another element may have been the endorsement supplied by MoveOn.org, which also put out a call for financial support on Obama's behalf.

This has all posed a challenge for Clinton's top volunteer fundraisers.

Suzy Tompkins Buell, a California bundler for Clinton, said yesterday that many of the donors she has contacted have already given the maximum allowed.

"The campaign has gone on much longer than any of us expected," Buell said. "I think now we are in the position of looking for the little checks. We're trying to find out how best to do that."

Washington Post, Thursday February 2, 2008
By Matthew A. Mosk, Washington Post

Why have a website? Because in today’s fast paced world, you are expected to have one.

A website enables your business to remain open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! It reaches out to prospective customers who are actually trying to reach your business. Your site will educate, inform, attract new customers and even generate revenue while you sleep.

Websites are affordable and cost effective. Annually your cost of having a website may be less than the cost of a one-time print ad. The information on your site can save you time and money. For example, you can save time by reducing the number of informational phone calls that you receive such as “what are your business hours” and save money on printed promotional literature.

Does your competition have a website? If they do, you might want one too. If they don’t, this is a perfect opportunity for you to differentiate your business from your competition.

Why have a website? A better question might be, why wouldn’t you have a website?

10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Website

1. Your Business is Open to the World 24/7, 365 Days a Year
Unlike your office that may be open from 8-5, Monday thru Friday, your website is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There are many different time zones that may affect your business, which is why being on the web makes it time convenient for everyone.

2. It's Your Online Brochure / Catalog That Can Be Changed at Anytime
A website is easier, cheaper and quicker to update than print material. Its' capacities are almost limitless which allow you to provide users with more comprehensive information. This will save you money on printing and distribution costs as well.

3. Reach New Markets with a Global Audience
On the Internet, you aren't that local little business or campaign anymore. You have the potential to be seen by millions across the globe. Did you ever think your company would have the possibility of doing business around the world? Well, now you can. Without a doubt, the Internet is the most cost effective way to trade nationally and internationally.

4. Improved Customer Service
By providing answers to questions on your website, sales and information requests can be processed automatically and immediately, whether someone is in the office or not. Online forms can be used to allow customers to request quotations or ask further information. Save costs by allowing users to download invoices, proposals and important documents.

5. Present a Professional Image
For a small business, a well-designed web site is a great way of instilling confidence and looking bigger than you actually are. In this day in age, customers assume that you already have a website. By now, your primary competitors probably already have a presence on the Internet. If they do, keep up with them and find ways to make yours better.

6. Sell Your Products
Why pay expensive rent, overhead, electric bills, and all the other costs that go along with owning a bricks-n-mortar business? Selling in cyberspace is much cheaper and a good way to supplement your offline business. Providing secure online ordering is very affordable for even the smallest businesses.

7. Promote Your Services
Lawyers, doctors, financial consultants, entertainers, realtors and all service oriented businesses should let customers know that they have a choice. Millions of users are referring to the web and are using company's websites to make major decisions when they need a specialized service.

8. Gather Information and Generate Valuable Leads
You can gather information about your customers and potential customers by using forms and surveys. Rather than going out and getting leads, let them come to you. This is a great tool for prospecting targeted customers looking to use your products and services.

9. Provides Instant Gratification
People are busy and don't like to wait for information. Give them what they want, when they want it. If your product is suitable, offer them free samples or trials to download. This includes pictures, brochures, software, videos, Power Point slides, music and more.

10. Great Recruiting Tool
Whether you are looking for talent or posting job opportunities with your company, your website is a great recruiting tool for building your business.