Ready, Set, Dazzle: YouDazzle in Action

In this week’s blog, we are featuring a success story of YouDazzle at work. Be sure to share yours with us so we can spotlight you as well 

Broncus: A Commitment to Medical Breakthroughs, An Overload of Documentation

Broncus Technologies was founded in 1997 with the goal of developing and commercializing minimally-invasive medical devices for lung diseases. The private, venture-backed company has already brought two product lines to market and has raised more than $100 million from leading venture firms. However, for a fast-growing company in a difficult fundraising environment, raising funds for their latest advancements is always mission-critical—and incredibly time and document intensive.

For Broncus Chief Operating Officer Gary Kaplan, pursuing funding requires the management of a large number of documents which often need to be customized for each investor involved in due diligence. For example, the recent request from just one potential investor included 120 items, many of which were unique to that company’s needs. With requests coming in constantly, Kaplan found himself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of documents he needed to keep track of on a daily basis

“It was becoming increasingly difficult to manage multiple companies’ due diligence processes via email not only because it was unwieldy but because I also needed to keep a record of every single email,” said Kaplan. “I tried a simple FTP server solution but that was too unorganized and didn’t offer an easy way to manage files. I knew I needed a cloud-based solution that could let me not only keep all my files in one place but would let me manage them and interact with my potential investors.”

The Solution: Personalized Information, Instantly Shared

Kaplan discovered YouDazzle, the first company to combine simple online file sharing with web meetings for professionals of all shapes and sizes. He was attracted by YouDazzle’s unique data rooms, which allowed him to move file sharing out of email and into the cloud. The data rooms, which can be custom branded and offer the highest levels of data encryption and security, gave Kaplan a place to store all the due diligence items that a specific investor might need, allowing him to easily add documents, be they Word documents, large videos, or web links, as soon as a suitor requested them, a responsiveness which is key when working with potential investors’ often short timelines.

“I love the fact that I can create an endless number of data rooms, customized for each specific party with our branding,” Kaplan said. “The ability to copy and rename folders has also meant that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time we start a new data room. Reordering files is simple and elegant, as is the overall branded room experience. I really appreciate the fact that I can see exactly what the room looks like to my visitors as it helps me optimize the experience.”

The YouDazzle notification system has also brought Broncus an unexpected competitive edge in that they are able to see who views each file and when it was viewed, giving Kaplan a great sense of where companies are in their due diligence process and what they might need to move them along. With YouDazzle notifications, users can choose to get real-time, daily, or no notifications whenever a file is viewed or downloaded.

Kaplan plans on expanding Broncus’ use of YouDazzle, including its instant web meetings, which are 100 percent browser-based, require no downloads, and work with the full array of computers and devices.

“There are many ways that YouDazzle can help our overall business,” Kaplan said. “For example, one of our products utilizes CT scans, which are very large files. To be able to post these files to a data room and then hold instant web meetings to discuss findings would be really helpful. The basic fact is that there is no other way as practical as YouDazzle to share information. We look forward to expanding our use of YouDazzle in the years to come.”

There is A Cure for the Summertime Blues

It’s that time of year again. Kids are counting down the last days of school. People at big corporations are putting in for their two weeks off in July. Everyone is asking you where you are going this summer. And, if you are like most small business owners, your answer is pretty basic: to my desk. It’s enough to get you down, especially when the temperature is going up.

But we have a cure for those summertime blues. It’s the cloud and YouDazzle.

Until now, people who were self-employed or running a small business couldn’t go anywhere. Say, for example, you are a marketing consultant. No client wants to hear that you are going to the beach for a week with limited connectivity because frankly who wants to lug a laptop onto the beach, even if there was available WiFi….which somehow I doubt exists at beaches anywhere, even in California. Plus, what are you supposed to do when that client inevitably asks for you to lead a meeting or better yet simply find a file when not even your rental cottage has connectivity? It’s enough to make a grown professional return all their sunscreen to the drugstore and shut the office shades until summer is over and everyone else is back in their work caves too.

But now, with YouDazzle, your phone or device really can be your office. YouDazzle lets you not just attend meetings but even host meetings from your phone. And with branded data rooms where you can store and share all types of files, from Word docs to PDFs to Excel spreadsheets to videos to CAD drawings and more, you never have to worry about not being able to access and share your information while you are away. You can even co-browse with your clients and help them make a purchase while you sit under a shady elm as your kids play. Whether you have an iPhone, iPad, Android or newer Blackberry device, you can put your office in your pocket and head out to enjoy the sunshine this year.

So, yes, Virginia, there really is a summer vacation. And this year, even you get to have one.
So go get some sunscreen pronto!

Screen Sharing: When (and Why) It Matters

First off, let me say that for many of us (myself included) screen sharing has meant getting a glimpse at a co-worker’s personal emails as he scrambles to pull up a PowerPoint. Or laughing at someone’s personal IM from her adoring boyfriend, which pops up when, of course, she is presenting to a potential customer. So, given these true horror stories, why would anyone ever dream of screen sharing. Because screen sharing is grown up—now it is about co-browsing.

And because, like most powers, in the right hands, it is amazing.

Screen sharing takes web meetings from talking to doing. It takes sales from leads to closes. It takes budgets from pending to finalized. By sharing a screen, you can share information in real-time. So, yes, screen sharing isn’t important for a static presentation. But for those times when you want to engage with customers, colleagues and prospects despite the miles, screen sharing is critical.

Here are some sample case uses:

• Filling out forms: There is nothing more frustrating than filling out a new form. Even when people PDF you samples of what you do step by step, it is still a nuisance. With screen sharing, you can walk a customer right through the sign-up process and get the sales done right then and there, with minimal hassle for the customers—and you.
• Sharing information in real-time: From working on budgets and documents to simply surfing to a cool new website with highly relevant information, screen sharing let’s you get information in a much more timely manner, making decisions rather than adding to to-do lists.
• Remote training and support: Get your sales force up and running in no time no matter where they are, knowing that they understand you and your product—and that they actually completed the necessary training! And when people need help, it is no problem.
• Most of all, communicate with your branding: when you screen share you can be in control of your own destiny and you can be sure to project your company’s brand the way you want to, whenever you want to.

This list is just a start. How do you use screen sharing? Together, we can use screen sharing to take over the world (no evil laugh included at the end of this sentence!)

Virtual Handshakes and Mobile Meetings: A Day in the Life of Bill and Sally

Ever get the feeling that technology has depersonalized the world? And that despite all the claims of social networking, it is getting worse the faster and faster we move forward? Worst of all, ever notice how technology impacts business, where something as simple as a handshake or a face-to-face meeting can be the difference between a sale and a dead end?

It doesn’t have to be that way. There really is power with technology’s promise. And its name isn’t Facebook, it is the cloud. The cloud has evolved to the point where it can be a truly effective sales tool, allowing you to share not just files, but videos and your desktop—all in real time. And with built-in security, file tracking and analytics, it gives you the control you need to run your business efficiently. Best of all, by leveraging the power of the cloud, the content you want to share is available to any device—desktop, smartphone or tablet.

Let’s take Sally and Bill, a couple in Portland, Oregon.  Sally is an architect and Bill is a digital creative designer.  They were both looking for an easy way to collaborate with their clients and teams.

Sally uses YouDazzle to upload and share her latest CAD drawings and renderings with her clients, contractors and builders. She has a weekly web meeting with the contractors to discuss blueprints, identify budget, and resolve scheduling issues early in the project. Sally is constantly on the go so she has the ability to view the latest CAD drawing directly on her smartphone. Her meetings may not be face to face but her busy clients and colleagues appreciate the new face to face: device to device communication that is easy and detailed.

Bill is a digital, creative designer who designs marketing campaigns, develops brand identities and viral videos.  He was looking for an easy way to share client deliverables, manage timelines, and client approvals.  He collaborates with his clients via his branded YouDazzle data rooms.  He receives real-time notification when a file has been viewed along with comments that drive his project workflows forward.  He can peer into the analytics and learn how his business development efforts are progressing and whether his prospects have viewed his portfolio samples or not. He may not be looking his clients in the eye—but he is going one step further and understanding their behavior.

Sally and Bill are like thousands of YouDazzle customers working and collaborating in the cloud. They may not be gathering at the water cooler with  co-workers, but they are using the cloud to find a way to let distances disappear—and even make you closer. By sharing details never before possible and making work mobile in a way people didn’t dream of even a few years ago, YouDazzle is helping personalize technology and empower a new generation of businesses. And there’s nothing wrong with a virtual handshake…especially in cold season!

Why Working From Home Works

It may be an election year so a lot of people are offering a lot of economic solutions, but the fact remains: the economy—unless you are about to become a Facebook millionaire—still stinks. Even if there is some improvement, it is unpredictable at best. The only silver lining has indeed been the tech sector, which seems to be improving rapidly, with talk of another gold rush to come.

The cloud has continued to come into its own in 2012, with more and more businesses and tools being built around the cloud. The cloud is a lynchpin for this upturn in the tech economy and all that it stands for—flexibility, power, ease of use—can also be said about working from home.

According to an employment review from eLance, the number of businesses seeking independent contractors who work remotely doubled in 2011. Plus, 83 percent of businesses surveyed planned to let half their employees work from home over the next year. In addition, the report predicted that working at home is on track to be a $500 million industry, with 650,000 new jobs created for remote workers. So, it may be a bad time to be looking for a desk job but it is a good time for working from home—and working in cloud services, which is itself a $1 billion market.

Working in cloud services not only gives you a great way to ride out the tough economy by building your own businesses with no overhead, it also gives you the kind of cutting-edge skills that you need to get into the lucrative technology marketplace. And the cloud—and YouDazzle—is flexible enough that you can work on your time from wherever you want. These days home really is where the heart is—be that working from your local coffee shop, your kids’ school or (much better yet) a remote, Wi-Fi-enabled Greek island.

So, don’t let the economy get you down: take advantage of this endless downturn to make an upturn in not just your skill set but your quality of life. Because another study from Home Office Computing Magazine found that 98% of people are happier working from home, 96% would recommend working from home and 88% would never return to the office…How’s that for poll numbers that would make any politician deliriously happy! And, just think, that could be you.  Take that, Facebook millionaires!

Mobile Web Meetings: They Not Only Matter, They Really Can Exist!

There are many reasons why our lives are better when we can host web meetings from our mobile devices. It gives us flexibility and portability. It makes it easy to hold a meeting on the fly from wherever you are. And, even more importantly, it lets us as businesspeople connect with our customers, partners and prospects no matter where they are.

The stats on smart phone usage and mobile web browsing are just staggering. Consider this recent 2012 data from mobiThinking:

• There are 5.9 billion mobile subscribers—that is 87 percent of the world population—with smart phones showing the largest growth.
• There are now 1.2 billion mobile web users worldwide.
• 25 percent of mobile Web users in the US are mobile users alone. In other worlds, they do not use a desktop at all.

That last statistic is pretty staggering but so obvious. People are not only ditching their cameras in favor of their phones, they are now putting away their desktops (not surprising when increasingly people work without physical desks!). Why lug around their work when it can fit in their pocket?

Let’s face it, we are living in a mobile world and to give your business a competitive edge you need to be mobile too. This is especially true for busy network marketers, who are often holding meetings and growing their businesses on the fly. With reliable, powerful mobile web conferencing, you can conduct business wherever you are.

And don’t forget that we are also living in the age of instant gratification so you have got to get a solution that requires no downloads. Make it simple and they will come—and stay to hear what you have to say.

So, don’t wait to try out mobile web conferencing. It is no longer the wave of the future—it is happening now.

10 Steps that Will Drive Your Small Business to Success

No one could argue that our world isn’t changing fast—and I don’t mean just technology-wise. Consumers aren’t spending like they once did, manufacturing and shipping costs are fluctuating wildly, and the age of the environment is slowly (finally) being ushered in. On top of that technology has really changed the way people shop, interact and buy – not to mention the way entrepreneurs market their businesses.

Here are ten rules to make sure your business grows and prospers:

1. Find a Niche. For small businesses, it is best to find a niche. A small company with limited resources can efficiently serve niche markets. Concentrate your efforts on a fairly narrow market offering. This entails sticking to what you do best, and becoming an expert in that field. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.

2. Be small, yet think big. The most common question of small business start-ups is “How can I compete with my big competitors?“ Small businesses have inherent advantages over big businesses, including flexibility, ability to respond quickly, able to provide a more personalized service. As a small business owner you have the ability to provide that personal touch to your customers that the big guys don’t.   Often, that personal connection sets you apart and goes a long way to building trust and credibility with your customers.

3. Differentiate your products. Present the benefits of your products and services to your customers, highlighting the unique solutions they offer to their problems. Avoid being a copycat; rarely do imitators succeed in the market. Sometime you won’t be able to look a potential customer in the face given distance, so you can leverage technology to share your product via your screen and really walk a customer through your offering one-on-one.

4. First impressions counts.  You often do not have a second chance to make a good first impression. Everyone you come in touch with is potentially a client or a referral to another client because they are either impressed with you as a person or impressed with your skill at providing a certain service or product. Make sure that you are always presentable, professional in your ways and knowledgeable about your business.

5. Good reputation. Your business hinges on its reputation. It is imperative that you build a good reputation for the quality of your products and support services. Remember that two things guarantee success: high quality goods and superior service. Always aim for quality.

6. Constant improvement. Entrepreneurs know that they should not be rigid in their ways of thinking in their quest to improve their best products and services. You risk being left behind by the fast-paced competition if you cling to the “this is how we’ve always done it” kind of thinking.

7. Listen to your customers. Be market driven: listen and react to your customer’s needs. Customers need to feel that they are important to you ­ because they are! When you focus on your customers and gain their trust, they will not only recommend you but they will also remain loyal to you. Remember, personal recommendation and word-of-mouth are the least costly yet most effective marketing strategy for your business.

8. Plan for success. An entrepreneur should understand the power of planning. A good plan helps you increase your chances of succeeding and can help you define your business concepts, estimate costs, predict sales and control your risks. It tells you where you are going and how to get there. Going into business without a plan is like driving into a foreign land without a road map.

9. Be innovative. Innovate your offerings constantly, keeping pace with technological changes. Challenge the status quo and try new, innovative way to collaborate with your prospects, customers and peers.  Keep your eyes open for new ways of doing things, and apply those that can improve the quality of your products and efficiency of your operations.

10. Work smart. As an entrepreneur, you need to possess self-confidence, plus a never-ending sense of urgency to develop your ideas. Studies have shown that the individuals who succeed in entrepreneurship are far-sighted and can accept things as they are and deal with them accordingly. They know how to manage their time, balancing work and play. These people are oftentimes quick to change directions when they see their plans are not working. More importantly, they recognize their weak points and move on to nurture alliances and acquire the skills they need to put their business on the right track. They realize the importance of working smart, knowing that it is not the quantity of work you do, but what you do and how well you do it.

At the end of the day, remember, life is short.  Be passionate about what you do!