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With the economy taking such a beating in 2008, it’s difficult to look forward to a bright, robust 2009. We are still going to be dealing with the dust settling from 2008 and there will be more setbacks, jobs lost, and a down economy. However, there are a few trends that could really pay off in the coming year.

Netbooks -

Laptops in the past couple of years have been out-selling desktops. Particularly mini notebook computers have been selling very well. More than 11 million were sold worldwide and that is up from only one million a year ago. What makes netbooks appealing is that they are a stripped down laptop, no DVD drive and a lot less processing power, not to mention their price which is usually around $300. 

‘Head in the Clouds’ - Cloud Computing

Cloud services and computing is not new, but we will probably see these services and companies really take off this year. A great example of a cloud service is photo-sharing sites. It’s really any service that allows the consumer to store data or information anywhere but their computer or mobile phone. Also, software-as-a-service companies are based on this model as well. It’s about paying-as-you-go instead of financing a big software purchase. As Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com says, “The capital crunch of 2009 will put a spotlight on the advantages of cloud computing, less risk, no capital expenditure, predictable operating expenses and fast results. I believe that will translate to greater adoption for both cloud computing applications and platforms.”

Virtualization + Saving $ = Green

Similar to cloud computing, “virtualization” really cuts down the costs associated with operating machines, like servers. It helps companies run multiple applications and systems on a single piece of hardware. This allows the company to get more out of that piece of hardware, to cut costs by not having to buy more servers, which leads to being more environmentally friendly. 

You, Me, Wii!

Gaming systems like the Nintendo’s Wii have really given life to the console space of the gaming industry. Regardless that money will be tight for consumers, they will still be spending money on games and gadgets for the Wii. Also, like the netbooks, handheld systems like Nintendo’s DS will also probably do quite well. 

Finally, as bad as it may get in the coming year, consumers will never give up their broadband connections. People will probably give up their cable TV channels over their high-speed Internet connections. Especially with sites such as Hulu.com, it’s a nice, free, alternative to cable. 

Source -

*http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/15/technology/mehta_predictions.fortune/

*Accenture

A new year begins tomorrow and with a new year comes a fresh start.  This year I’ve decided to go the extra mile and create a list of resolutions to strive for in 2009.  While we all have our standard personal resolutions- eating healthier, managing finances, etc., I’ve decided to develop a separate list for my business resolutions.  Having lost my job in the past and with the economy as it is, career growth and development is extremely important to me.  In order to be the best I can be, I’ve developed the following list of my top business resolutions for 2009.  Feel free to share yours in the comments!

• Network & Build Relationships – In my previous post  I talk about the importance of networking and how to network.  What I didn’t address is the most important part- building upon the relationships we establish.  How many times have you gone to a networking event and forgot to follow up with people you meet?  Or perhaps you follow up once, and then never speak with that person again? This year, I vow to build upon the relationships I establish. Whether it’s through Twitter, Facebook, email or the good old fashion telephone, it’s nice to check in with acquaintances and strengthen your business relationships.  It could lead to a business partnership!
• Stay Organized, Be Efficient- It’s easy to gather 1,000 emails in your Inbox, but is it really necessary to keep them all?  This year I will learn to use the recycle bin more.  I will strive to keep my email Inbox and my desktop clean and organized into folders.  I believe doing this will make me more efficient in my job functions, and saving time saves money!   For tips on keeping the office organized, visit LifeOrganizer.com.
• Take time to think & be more creative- Often times we get so caught up in the day to day tasks and responsibilities of our job that we forget to stop and take a moment to think about what we’re really doing.  We get tunnel vision.  For the New Year, I will set aside time to periodically review the goals and objectives of my clients (and of course, my own goals) so that I can re-evaluate whether or not I’m on the path to accomplishing these goals.  If not, I will take the time to stop and think about how I can change what I’m doing to meet those goals.  I will try to be more creative in how I approach things and not just do what works.
• Better Work Life Balance – A typical resolution for people, yet one that never seems to feel fulfilled.  Here’s my plan for 2009- This year, I vow not to roll over every morning and check my email before I get out of bed (yes, I do this 7 days a week).  I vow to spend less time sitting in front of the TV with my laptop in my lap.   I vow not to stay in the office past 7:00 p.m.  I vow not to work on Sunday evenings unless absolutely necessary.

Being a huge fan of Excel, I’ve logged these goals, as well as my personal goals, in a spreadsheet and saved them on my desktop in hopes that I’ll periodically glance at them and remind myself of the resolutions I set for 2009.  What are you doing to stay on track with your New Year resolutions?

For more inspiration check out this post by Susan Ward of About.com which provides the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Business Success: http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/management/a/bizresolutions.htm

Somewhere between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this Holiday season I’ve experienced a Twitter Sunday - with the best accessory deal I’ve ever scored. It was the Brooklyn based uber trendy Hayden-Harnett design duo (@hayden_harnett) who I happen to follow on Twitter, announcing their Twitter-exclusive 80% off sale on a long-time-craved Corcovado Turnlock Tote in Patent Black. Despite the early Sunday morning, all handbags and other items offered exclusively to their followers were gone within minutes. It was a moment when I realized my Twitter connections don’t only provide the emotional value, but also commercial.

This Holiday season my Twitter friends shared exclusive sales, special discount codes and rare finds, saving each other time and money. It was the first season Tweet Commerce really took off, and if I could make one prediction for 2009 it will only continue to develop, as more brands realize the value of constant connection to their consumers.

In addition, clever entrepreneurs are already realizing the value of these tweets and building applications around them, organizing the data like CheapTweet.com whose slogan says “scouring Twitter for deals so you don’t have to”. Online invite-only sites such as Ideeli.com (@ideeli) are using twitter to alert their users about new sales, and e-commerce brand eLuxury (@eluxury) sometimes share “secrets” like this one with their followers: “A little secret for the grapevine; starting tomorrow take an additional 30% off sale items. Shhhhhh”.

Call it Tweet Commerce or Social Shopping 3.0, but if you care enough about your favorite brands to follow their daily ramblings, you might score some great deals along the line. Now when people ask where I got my new gorgeous tote from, I say without thinking twice - on Twitter!

~ Yuli Ziv (@yuliz)

As we all know, over the past few years, TechCrunch has become the bible equivalent for the Web 2.0 tech space. However biased or opinionated TechCrunch is, they have a knack for breaking solid news, announcing new, interesting start-ups, and analyzing the ups and downs of the industry, including which companies are staying afloat during this volatile economic situation that we’re facing. TechCrunch is the most highly-respected tech blog around with a “Michael Arrington” backbone that has made it a lucrative business and revenue stream for them. Regardless of that point, and because I value the opinion of TechCrunch’s writers and readers, I wanted to highlight some of the finalist names of the Crunchies, “Best of the Web 2008″ award competition:

For the “best overall” category a few obvious companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Android, Hulu and Twitter made it to the list. Four out of those five services I personally use on a daily basis. Within the category of “Best New Startup of 2008,” Dropbox, FriendFeed, GoodGuide, Tapulous, Topspin Media and Yammer made it on to the list. Congrats!

Share your voice. You can vote for your favorite Web 2.0 companies, by clicking on the following link:

http://crunchies2008.techcrunch.com/votes/

So, as many of you already know, my career started out in a traditional PR capacity, sending out bulky press kits, faxing press releases to reporters and using the severely-outdated Bacon’s media resource (the book version, not the online version). Over time, my PR career slowly evolved to working in social media, word of mouth marketing and digital and interactive design. I absolutely love it and for those of you out there that are questioning this path to your future career, my recommendation is, “do it!”

The benefits to a career in digital media, social media or word of mouth marketing include:
•    Autonomy
•    You get to use cool, new web tools
•    Easy to become a “web 2.0 influencer”
•    Make an imprint on the social web
•    Work with cutting edge vendors
•    Educate brands and corporations that are willing to take risks
•    Become an expert, fast
•    Make yourself a valuable resource
•    Have more of an impact on the company or clients you are representing
•    Work in a creative environment
•    Personalize your work
•    Learn a lot as you progress in your career
•    Mix and mingle with some of the most innovative minds of our time

Since I’m an enthusiast, I wanted to create my own word of mouth campaign and share some of my favorite brands with you:

-Tory Burch (everything)
-Flipcam (the new HD)
-PotteryBarn (Bob Mitchell series)
-Papyrus (stationary)
-Lancome (everything)
-Apple (everything)
-Intel (PC Classmate)
-Method (all cleaning products)
-Mitchell’s Ice Cream (Vanilla Bean)
-Pete’s Coffee (Mocha, w/whip)
-Virgin America/Virgin Atlantic (all flights to anywhere and Richard Branson)
-Canon (Powershot 850 SD)
-Samsung (40 inch LCD TV)
-Adidas (running shoes)
-Sonicare (vibrating toothbrush)