Small Businesses Going More and More Mobile

When it comes to technology, small businesses continue to ratchet up their use of emerging wireless solutions, including tablet computers, 4G devices, and GPS navigation mobile apps. This according to the just-released 2012 AT&T* Small Business Technology Poll**. More specifically, the national survey of small businesses revealed the following:

Nearly all small businesses (96%) surveyed use wireless technologies in their operations, with almost two-thirds (63%) indicating that they could not survive -- or it would be a major challenge to survive -- without wireless technologies.

More than four in 10 (43%) small businesses surveyed report all of their employees use wireless devices or technologies to work away from the office, a nearly 80% jump from three years ago.
Despite being a relatively new technology, two-thirds (67%) of small businesses surveyed indicate that they use tablet computers, up from 57% a year ago.

By end of 2012, some 50% of small businesses surveyed expect to have all their employees using wireless technologies to work away from the office.

When it comes to smartphones the numbers get more interesting.

85% of small businesses reported using smartphones for their operations, up from 80% last year and more than double the usage five years ago (42%).

4G Devices:

One third of smartphones used by small businesses for business purposes are 4G.
Nearly nine in 10 (86%) of the businesses using 4G smartphones are satisfied with the speed.
Of those who don't have 4G devices, more than one-third (35%) report that they expect to purchase 4G smartphones within the next year, and more than half (54%) within the next two years.

Mobile apps are here to stay.

Almost one-third (30%) of small businesses surveyed use mobile apps for their business, with key reasons being to save time, increase productivity and reduce costs.

Mobile apps are gaining in importance for small businesses that use them, with half (50%) saying they could not survive - or it would be a major challenge to survive - without mobile apps, a 31% jump over the past year.

Of small businesses using mobile apps, GPS navigation and mapping are by far the most popular with 80% of business owners using them, followed by location-based services (44%) and social media marketing (42%).

Regional Variations: Based on responses to questions regarding four factors - perceived importance of wireless, use of wireless technology, use of mobile apps, and percentage of employees using wireless to work remotely - a Wireless Quotient, or "WiQ," was calculated for each of the 12 markets surveyed.

"More than ever, we're seeing small businesses leverage the benefits afforded by wireless technologies, whether they be smartphones, tablets, mobile apps, or 4G speeds," said Ebrahim Keshavarz, AT&T vice president of Small Business Product Management. "There's no doubt that with 'virtual offices' and remote workforces becoming more and more prevalent, AT&T will remain committed to offering innovative and affordable mobility solutions, helping small businesses reduce costs and increase productivity over both the short- and long-term."

Zoo Keeper Killed by Lioness in South Africa

In South Africa, a zoo keeper was killed when a lioness pounced on him after security gates at Johannesburg Zoo's conservation farm were apparently left open.

Colleagues heard Joe Ramonetha, 63, screaming on Monday and rushed to help but it was too late, a spokeswoman said. He was declared dead on arrival at hospital.

Mr Ramonetha, who had four children, had worked at the zoo since 1970. He had either been feeding the 11-year-old lioness or cleaning out her enclosure at the farm in Parys, about 75 miles from Johannesburg, when the accident happened.

Donald Trump Announces New 'Apprentice' Cast

A new season of "The Apprentice" begins February 12, and it's sure to be an interesting season.

18 celebs in total will be trying to win the title.

Here they are:

The men: late-night legend Arsenio Hall, pop star Clay Aiken, radio host Adam Carolla, the "Incredible Hulk" Lou Ferrigno, magician/comedian Penn Jillette, rock star Dee Snider, actor George Takei, IndyCar legend Michael Andretti, and American Chopper star Paul Teutul, Sr.

The women: supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, pop star Debbie Gibson, actress and Grammy winner Tia Carrere, author and reality star Victoria Gotti, comedian Lisa Lampanelli, former Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, singer Aubrey O'Day, actress/model Patricia Velásquez, and star of Real Housewives of New Jersey Teresa Giudice.

My early favorites: Dee Snider of Twisted Sister fame on the men's side and Tia Carrere on the women's.

UK Postal Worker Hoards 30,000 Pieces of Mail

A post office worker in England who failed to deliver some 30,000 pieces of mail then squirreled it all away at his home has been ordered to perform 280 hours of community service, the Guardian newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The postman, Paul Willicott, told authorities in Torbay that he did not have the time to deliver all of the mail during his four-hour shift. Overwhelmed, he ended up stashing it at his house, car and garage.
Willicott, 44, said he intended to deliver the unopened mail when his workload eased but he wasn't able to do so, the Guardian said.

A member of the public spotted Willicott stashing mail in his garage and reported him to authorities.
The Guardian reported that when his garage was searched, 174 pieces of mail were discovered. More was found in the trunk of his car, and 67 bags full of mail were found in his home.

In a bit of a surprise, a third of the items found were identified as junk mail.

A Quick Chat With USTA Troy 50K Tournament Director - Eric Hayes

There was nobody working harder this week in the world of tennis that Eric Hayes.

Who is Eric Hayes, you ask? 

He's this guy...

Here's a quick interview with Eric Hayes, the tournament director of the USTA Classic of Troy women's circuit event held this past week in Alabama.  Hayes is the men's and women's tennis coach at Troy and he's pretty much a one man show running this tournament.

From driving the players around to setting up the tennis center for play and everything in between including spending time on the court as a ball boy during some of the matches.

Hayes is a long time college coach and a former coach of players on the pro tours.  This is the ninth year for this event in Troy and as you can tell by the interview, Hayes is looking forward to next year and the 10th year of professional tennis on the campus of Troy University.

Here's an Audioboo of the interview, give it a listen.

Here's the USTA Tennis Classic of Troy.  You can see Hayes as a ball boy on the far court.

Congrats to Eric Hayes on another successful event.