Editor's Notebook

1. Does Your Mobile Printer Manufacturer Believe In Its Own Products?
   3/27/2013

   I’m frustrated and confused today. And, feeling sorry for many VARs in the mobile printing game. As part of our planning for an upcoming 4-inch rugged mobile label printers product review, I had calls with 11 companies that manufacturer such printers. What I found was that the majority of manufacturers think that their latest printers aren’t the greatest in the field.

2. Top Tweets From 2012 Ingram Micro Partner Invite
   5/17/2012

   My original plan for this article was to share with you the top 10 or 20 Tweets from the event, but there were so many valuable nuggets of information, I’m not going to put a cap on the number. To help you navigate through the Tweets, I’ve organized them by category. By Jim Roddy, president, Business Solutions magazine

3. Stratix' Success Secrets: A Preview
   5/16/2012

   You know how your local TV stations break in to your favorite evening programs to tease you about what will be on the news at 11? I’m doing a version of that with this article. By Jim Roddy, president, Business Solutions magazine

4. Rules for Increasing Organizational & Individual Frequency
   1/31/2012
   At RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association) Inspire 2012, during this morning's day two education session, Brett Harward talked numbers to the packed room of point of sale VARs, software developers, and manufacturers. Specifically, he talked about measuring the performance of your employees, sales, business, etc. During his talk, Harward provided his "7 Rules for Increasing Organizational and Individual Frequency." By Mike Monocello, chief editor
5. What I’ve Learned From Jeff Yelton
   1/19/2012

   Jeff Yelton’s recent resignation as President of ScanSource’s POS and Barcoding division gave me an opportunity to reflect on his contributions to our channel. If you’ve never heard Jeff present or read his writings, you’re missing out on vital channel information. (After the jump, I’ve linked to some content produced by Yelton.)

6. From BlueStar’s VARTECH: Qualities Of The Best Teammates
   9/13/2011
   I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at BlueStar’s VARTECH Conference, held Aug. 29-31 in Cincinnati. The keynote speaker for VARTECH was Jim Abbott, who pitched in the Olympics and the Major Leagues despite being born without a right hand. The stories he told about overcoming obstacles on his way to success are downright inspiring.
7. Social Media - Getting Started With Minimal Effort
   9/3/2011
   By Mike Monocello, chief editor
   One of the most common objections I hear regarding the adoption of social media is lack of time. Indeed, if you already have a full plate, how are you supposed to make time for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogging? Unfortunately, this isn’t an article on where you can find the 25th hour of the day. The fact is, to participate in social media, you’ve got to make the time. However, the amount of time you need to devote might be less than you’d expect.
8. Five Tips For Writing A Successful Blog
   9/3/2011
   By Mike Monocello, chief editor
   During the recent RSPA Inspire winter conference, speaker Brian Offenberger shared five tips to success with social media. While the tips apply to any form of social media, they really apply well to blogging.
9. Webinar: Building The Right Team
   8/28/2011

   This month's Business Solutions' Lunch & Learn Webinar Series will focus on: "Building The Right Team: Advice For VARs and MSPs." Join us on Thursday, Sept. 17, 1 to 2 p.m. ET, for this free webinar that will offer advice on ways you can build the right team – and the appropriate “corporate...

10. An Inside Look At Ingram Micro’s Corporate Sales Office
    8/24/2011
    By Mike Monocello, chief editor
    Business Solutions magazine recently made a trip to the Buffalo, NY corporate sales office of value-added distributor (VAD) Ingram Micro. It’s here where the VAD houses approximately 300 sales associates including 20 Data Capture/POS (DC/POS)-dedicated sales resources.