I just saw Eric Bender's story "This Just In" on
Entrepreneur.com. He did a great job introducing RSS to readers. I
think you may be intrigued by how far RSS has come in just a few
months.
You can read RSS-formatted content without making a visit to a
newsreader site. And you can get RSS feeds delivered as messages to
your cell phone, PDA, desktop or plain ol' e-mail.
We broadcast over the popular real-time networks (i.e., the IM
networks), like AOL, MSN and Yahoo!
Content Continues Below
That means we can take advantage of "presence" on
these networks and find people to deliver messages in real time.
And they're authenticated, which, combined with us giving users
100 percent control over opt-in/opt-out, makes this the first truly
viable spam-proof mechanism.
By taking advantage of RSS, companies can be up and messaging
customers in a matter of hours, and for a lot less than companies
pay to get most existing online communication programs up and
running.
Renee Deger
MessageCast Inc.
www.messagecast.net
The Start of the Matter
I can't resist an opportunity to let you know how much I
rely on Entrepreneur magazine for my startup marketing
communications firm. Having previously worked 20 years in the
corporate world, I didn't think it would be that different
launching and operating my own company. Was I wrong! Intense, yes.
But worth every chaotic and unpredictable moment of it.
The more I ask around, the more I see commonalities and
challenges unique to companies during the startup phase. Those
challenges seem to be very unique from [the challenges of] those
companies already established.
Keep up the amazing work, and thanks for being a key source of
direction in my day-to-day operations.
David Woodruff
President, CEO
WordsOut! Communications Inc.
Del Mar, California
Golden Opportunity
Thank you for your recent article, "Coming of
Age" (August). You hit the nail on the head with this
insightful and encouraging article. I especially appreciated your
four recommendations [in the sidebar] "Before You
Start."
This year, I turned 50 and was selected as
Connecticut's Woman Entrepreneur of the Year (in business for
less than five years) by Connecticut's Chapter of the National
Association of Women Business Owners. A real key for me (in
addition to examining my finances and seeking objective advice from
people other than friends and family) was to be sure I was creating
a business that I would enjoy, especially when the going got tough.
I had no idea that two days into my new adventure, the twin towers
in New York City would be toppled. The going got tough in a way
none of us could imagine, but having passion and a vision for the
future sustained and energized me.
Again, thank you for writing this article. It struck a chord
with me, and I hope it will inspire people, whatever age they may
be, to explore becoming their own bosses. It is the best decision I
made in my life. No regrets . . . no looking back!
Pam Butterfield
Owner
Butterfield & Associates LLC
Manchester, Connecticut
Trump Card
I would like to commend Rieva Lesonsky for criticizing Donald
Trump and The Apprentice ("Editor's
Note," May). Do we really want to suggest this is the way
America should do business? Spoiled multimillionaire kids who fail
in so many casino endeavors should not be teaching anything, except
maybe a course on cold calling or over-the-top sales methods.
Who else can choose from thousands of resumes and offer
extravagant bonuses? Most employers have to deal with the staff
that is available and make the most of the team they are given.
That show is entertainment at best. I can't believe I had to
search for a while to find a critic of Trump. Kudos to Rieva.
Roy Owens
Via e-mail
Corrections:
In the September "Sales
Force" column, Scottie Oliver was referred to as
"he." Oliver is a woman.
The correct website for Align Technology is www.invisalign.com
("Sources," October).
Contact Info:
If you would like to reach any of the businesses reported on
in this issue, turn to "Sources" on page 160.
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