Intended to function as a standalone tool, the Carpet Estimator app is a mobile solution for quickly estimating carpet and perimeter trim by carpet roll tear-off length with an easy-to-use floor plan generator that leaves no room for estimating mistakes. Subcontractors and weekend warriors alike will be now be able to complete simple estimates on an iPhone or iPod touch without any pricing surprises or costly material overruns. The On Center Software Carpet Estimator app includes the following features:

* Create New Estimates

o Includes 10 predefined shapes (including curves) to help you build your rooms

o Manipulate room dimensions by dragging arrows via touch

o View how the carpet will be laid in your room

o Adjust carpet orientation to Vertical or Horizontal

o Move and adjust seams by simply dragging an arrow

o Input any carpet roll width

o Input pricing for carpet and trim along with units

o Name each room for future reference

o Summary includes carpet and trim prices, plus room area and perimeter

* File Manager

o Store each room estimate into a database

o View and edit previous room estimates

o Delete rooms from the database

* Report Builder

o Select and combine room data to generate one report

o Report includes a materials break out

o Edit and email this report to clients, suppliers, or to yourself

* Help

o Online information and tutorials available at www.oncenter.com

o Check out the other great products created by On Center Software, made specifically for the construction industry

The Carpet Estimator app for iPhone and iPod touch is now available exclusively through the iTunes App Store. This tool was designed as a standalone app, and is not intended for use with On Center Software’s suite of construction products. For more information, please visit:  http://www.oncenter.com/products/iphone/carpet_estimator/help/index.html.

We have all experienced this when we walk into a mall and smell cinnamon buns cooking and run for the food court. Some companies are now trying to take advantage of this concept by creating a scent machine that will spray on command.

Scent Air, a company is the UK is having success helping companies market their products. For example, they helped a local Lexus dealer by installing a device that emits a Green Tea and Lemon Grass scent as well as a mix of Vanilla and Grapefruit. The dealer claims the “scent creates a luxurious environment in our auto dealership. It truly adds to our guest experience.”

World famous Hard Rock Orlando was having a problem drawing customers to a remote area of the restaurant. It used the scent of sugar cookie and waffle cone to draw the customers to the ice cream shop downstairs.

The scents act as aroma billboards, Scent Air claims in one of their case studies.

Is there a scent that will make people buy your product or service?

Sheila Dawson for HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

Visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/businessideas/index.html

On it, you are able to select a specific Interest, Category of Profession then refine it from antiques to writing. What is even more useful for people on a budget is you can then select your startup capital range.

Modern results are then populated on a page and you are then able to go into each for more details.

As an example, I entered “Interest > Construction > $10,000 to $15,000”.

It produced 28 possible businesses I can run with today.

One of interest was, “Bathtub Reglazing” which can produce up to $40/hr part-time. The Business Overview returns, “Not all homeowners can afford to replace their bathtubs just to keep up with new and popular remodeling trends. However, many of these same homeowners can certainly afford to have their bathtubs reglazed as a method of inexpensively updating their bathrooms’ appearance. Starting a bathtub reglazing service requires very little working experience, and the equipment is readily available through paint and industrial supply stores.”

Not bad for a side-job. I personally know 50 people that can use this service today.

Good luck with your search for self-employment.

John J. Adams, Editor and Chief, HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

Large companies such as Coke, Pepsi, Department Stores are plastering their vehicle fleets with not only traditional logos but complete images that make people just simply have to take a look.

But does a small business such as a Realtor or local restaurant need such expensive advertising?

“Tragically, for most business owners the magnet or sticker wrapped car just doesn’t add up. It doesn’t provide a consistent marketing system that you can count on monthly to bring you business”, says Todd Bates a national marketing and business coach.

He says you must look at the return on your investment then make a decision.

Photo from http://www.technowraps.com/

Bryce Ryerson for HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

A survey by Mintel revealed 27% of respondents who think food with added fiber usually has an unpleasant taste. Despite the health benefits, a minority of adults are likely to be interested in fiber-enhanced products. One in three respondents considered their diet to be healthy, but only one in five reported actively looking for and buying products with added health claims.

“Many people have negative perceptions about the taste of fiber,” says Molly Heyl-Rushmer, senior health and wellness analyst at Mintel. “The taste deters them from eating a fiber-added product that has numerous health benefits.”

Despite the encompassing proven health benefits of fiber, twenty-five percent of respondents think fiber is only necessary for those who suffer from irregularity or other digestive problems, with men being more likely than women to hold this belief.

The research shows a disturbing cancer related fact; even though a lack of fiber is linked to various cancers, heart disease and diabetes, 22% of consumers don’t know enough about fiber to know if it is important to their health.

“Consumers are more likely to report limiting sugar, fat, sodium, and calorie intake than they are to eat naturally fiber-rich foods,” notes Molly Heyl-Rushmer. “Adults don’t fully understand the link between fiber and health.”

“The way men view fiber is a considerable obstacle for marketers to overcome,” adds Molly Heyl-Rushmer. She believes utilizing “macho” spokesmen in commercial advertising to gently poke fun at these false beliefs, and convince men they’re incorrect could be a successful marketing tool.

The study can be accessed on Mintel’s website at http://www.mintel.com or you can follow them on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mintelnews.

Lieffel Mikin, Contributing Author, HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

On their website (address below) you can sight up to as a nominee or vote for your favorite local business. Powered by Google Maps, the site quickly displays the results for your area.

For each vote your local small business receives, you receive a “raffle ticket” giving you a chance to win one of three grants award each month worth $5,000.

The Intuit judges will also award one lucky small business a $30,000 grant in June, 2010.

Google is giving away a $100 grant to use in Adwords just for signing your business up.

Intuit says to be as creative as possible with your entry.

Some recent grant winners include:

Julies Tax Service of Overland Park, KS who build her practice on one statement, “Working hard to save my clients tax dollars as well as preparation fees!”

Tracey from Integrative Massage Solutions, Raleigh, NC. One voter said, “Tracey knows her stuff! Whatever I have going on muscularly, I know I’m in good hands the minute I walk into her office.”

Also on the same site you can get more information about other specialized small business grants that Intuit is pointing you towards. These include grants for green businesses, energy saving businesses, teen girls, women and young or urban entrepreneurs.

It is also worth visiting the Intuit site that matches your business type. For example, there are specific information and product sites to do with accounting, developers, enterprise, financial institutions, health care, real estate and retailers.

Intuit’s main corporate site is http://www.intuit.com/

Grant Award Site: http://lovealocalbusiness.intuit.com/

Michelle Boufford, HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

“The message is continuing progress for the economy, if not as fast as hoped,” said Pierre Ellis, a senior economist at Decision Economics in New York.

Despite the unemployment figure edging up 9.8% people are still spending.

What are they buying?

Deb Riechmann of the Associated Press reports “sales of chocolate and running shoes are up. Wine drinkers haven’t stopped sipping; they just seem to be choosing cheaper vintages. Gold coins are selling like hot cakes. So are gardening seeds. Tanning products are piling up in shopping carts; maybe more people are finding color in a bottle than from sun-worshipping on a faraway beach. Strong sales of Spam, Dinty Moore stew and chili helped Hormel Foods Corp. post a 6% increase in first quarter sales in its grocery products unit.”

Riechmann also says “consumers have trimmed household budgets and postponed buying cars, major appliances and other big-ticket items. Yet they still are willing to shell out for small indulgences and goods that make life more comfortable at home, where they are spending more time.”

How can you as a business owner take advantage of the economic situation?

“Start-ups which focus on selling aspirins to either market do far better than those attempting to sell vitamins.” Says startupjunkies.org author Clayton Christensen.

Clayton continues saying people will gladly pay you to make their problems disappear in any economy.

Shane Ducan, Assistant Editor, HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

In a new ad campaign, JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s are publicizing their plans to lend $10 billion to small businesses such as yours this year.

Other banks such as Wells Fargo & Co. and Huntington Bancshares Inc., are also saying they are more open to small-business loans.

Banks are keeping the info close to heart not advertising on their websites. Instead, the banks are keeping the public posted on how their loan programs will remain. That means they get to tell us what information they want, when they want and filtered the way they want.

One other problem is the banks are also defining what a small business is since there isn’t a universal standard. This may prevent certain businesses from receiving a benefit from this temporary lift on loans.

“(The banks) get to pick and choose what numbers they tell us without having to give any context,” says James Kwak, who writes for the financial and economics blog The Baseline Scenario. “It doesn’t mean they are sinister, but their numbers will be hard to verify.”

Small businesses are very hard hit by the credit tightening over the last two years. Banks dramatically slowed loans to startups and put a stop to anyone that is losing money or anyone with risks in their business profile. JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo see small businesses as revenues of under $20 million, but Huntington Bancshares’ stops at $15 million.

Either way, it may be the best time to look for that expansion loan for your small business with the hold temporarily off the banks bills.

By Michelle Bouffard, HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

Recent research reveals consumers in UK and US recognize social networking as Entertainment. A study by Edelman (the world’s largest independent PR agency) is showing consumers believe social networks provide a higher value experience compared with other forms of entertainment.

Edelman’s annual Trust in the Entertainment Industry surveyed 1,000 18-54 year olds in the United States and United Kingdom to better understand issues influencing consumer trust in entertainment companies. In the US, the rise of the internet as a frequent source of entertainment is most noticeable in the 18-34 group, rising from 27 percent in 2009 to 42 percent in 2010. Also 32 percent of 18-54 year olds look most frequently to the web for entertainment (compared with 58 percent watching TV). In the UK the internet also ranked second in the UK, with 30 percent turning to the web most frequently, compared with 57 percent watching TV.

The study shows 73% of 18-24 year olds in the US consider social networks as a form of “social entertainment” compared to 61% in the UK. Fifty percent (US) and 56 percent (UK) of respondents aged 35-49 also consider social networking sites as a form of entertainment.

Despite the growth of social networks and entertainment, consumers do not currently identify Internet brands as entertainment companies.

The majority of respondents in both the UK and US felt social networking is providing better value than music, gaming and television companies are.

Gail Becker, President of Edelman’s Western region comments, “While not surprising that TV tops the list, seeing the internet rank second as a source of entertainment – evolving from its origins as a source of information – is significant. We believe that all companies today exist in this new era that we call social entertainment and we will continue to see its influence on how consumers and companies engage with entertainment and with each other.”

Personal information was shown to still lead social networker’s concerns with 89% of them saying they would not be willing to give up personal information to access free entertainment.

Jonathan Hargreaves, Managing Director of Technology, Edelman, Europe adds: “The study shows that consumers do value privacy but perhaps they are not considering the personal information that they already distribute freely via social networks. Social entertainment impacts the role of privacy – both in how individuals behave online but also in terms of how entertainment companies use customer information. This new era has created a shift in the trust dynamic and businesses must consider the implications of this in order to nurture future trust in a brand.”

Despite this move towards social entertainment, spending on entertainment continues to stay strong according to studies recent results.

On average, US respondents spend $47 per month (UK spends GBP25/month) on entertainment content, with ease of purchase being a dominating factor.

In the UK consumers who think social networking is a form of entertainment are more likely to have spent more money on entertainment.

Further information on this survey can be found at: http://www.thenakedpheasant.wordpress.com

Nora Whithers, Contributing Author, HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com

The Ubuntu distribution was recently installed into 220,000 workstations that are used by some 600,000 students in Spain.

Rafael Garcia Rivas, Director of Advanced Management Centre, Junta de Andalucia says, “Teachers and students throughout Andalusia now have access to a stable and easy-to-use technology environment. They can find and share educational information more easily. And they can work on more innovative, interactive lessons with an improved IT infrastructure in place.”

The attraction of using this operating system and software is easy of installation, simple updating across the network and of course its reasonable cost.

As part of this initiative, the government contracted Spanish IT services company Isotrol to implement a new technology infrastructure that connected 1,500 schools in the region. After winning a competitive tender, Isotrol was also invited to launch a new infrastructure management project to ensure that each school received technical support as and when it was needed.

Antonio José Sáenz Albanés says, “The Ubuntu distribution is more reliable than the alternatives. It’s stable,easy-to-use and easy-to-manage. It’s also compatible with a range of hardware, so we haven’t experienced any integration issues. That’s been particularly important because teachers and students need to be able to work with Guadalinex whether they’re in school or at home.

“Basing our distribution on Ubuntu has also allowed the CGA to dedicate more resources to improving day-to-day tasks. And it means we can dedicate more time to providing hardware support and developing new technology solutions for the classrooms.”

You can get your own desktop copy of Ubuntu for your business at http://www.ubuntu.com/

Michelle Bouffard, HowToMarketYourBusinessNow.com