Dale and I operate an Internet based business (EasyCall Communications), but we also like to travel.  The dilemma has always been how to get on-line to get email, update web pages or look up rates for customers who call while we’re away from our home office.  WiFi enabled laptops was a solution when we could get to a hot-spot, but the likelihood of a customer calling while we were near a hot-spot was slim.

For a couple years we’ve been considering a laptop card that would give us Internet where ever we had cellular coverage, but it was a bit of a daunting task to decide which device would serve us best.  We are currently AT&T cellphone customers, so we opted for AT&T as our network, and after much study and review, we finally decided on the Option Quicksilver USB Modem.

The Quicksilver supports high-speed data connectivity anywhere within the AT&T coverage area.  It is compatible with both AT&T 3G high speed broadband connect and nationwide EDGE data networks.  We are Mac users, so it was important that any card we chose be Mac compatible.  The Quicksilver works with Windows 2000 Pro, Personal and XP Home/Pro, Vista, and Mac OS.

The Quicksilver is one of the smallest HSPA-capable devises available.  It weighs only 1.2 ounces, and uses the new Icera Livanto chipset, which handles GSM/GPRS/EDGE/3G data.  Speeds will vary depending on networks.  It gives 70 to 135 kpbs downloads on an EDGE network and 700 kpbs to 1.7 Mbps downloads on HSPA.

Besides being small and lightweight, another feature we like is that it has a four position click mechanism for its swiveling cap design – there is no protective cap to lose.  It is plug and play with the automatic installation of the AT&T Communication Manager software.  Currently the Quicksilver ships with only the Windows software, so Mac users will need to download the software from the AT&T website.  One problem you might encounter if you’re a Mac user like us, is that the instructions say to leave the “APN” field blank on the Mac software.  Doing that you’ll be unable to connect.  You should put – isp.cingular – as the APN with no user-name or password and that will solve the issue.

Perhaps the best part about getting the Quicksilver is that you can get it for FREE with a two year data contract from AT&T.  The data plan will cost you $60 per month, but the freedom to be productive while away from your office is priceless.

We’re just not the stay at home kind of people.  We’re semi-retired and as such, we want the freedom to travel, go camping, and spend time with our family.  But running an Internet based business often complicates our plans.  If you’re finding yourself in a similar position, consider getting a wireless laptop card for your your computer and gain the freedom to log-on anywhere you have cellular service.  To review all available laptop wireless modems, visit EasyCall Cellular and choose ‘Air Card’ from the ‘Phone Type’ menu on the right.

The number of corporations scaling back air travel spending this year continues to grow. The investment firm, USB conducts a twice-annual survey that looks at corporate air travel spending. Results this month show that of 80 companies surveyed, 42% said their companies are reducing air expenses this year compared to last. That figure is up 26% from the October 2007 results.

The high cost of fuel has forced the airlines to take drastic actions to reduce costs. Just today American Airlines announced that it plans to reduce overall capacity and add a new fee for coach customers to check their first piece of luggage. Many airlines are already charging a fee for a second piece of luggage.

Higher ticket prices coupled with additional fees are pushing airline travel out of the reach of many small businesses. Yet these companies still have the need to communicate with clients and colleagues in different parts of the world.

The time to learn about Teleconferencing is NOW!

Today there is technology available to replace almost every aspect of the face-to-face meeting. It has been estimated that by utilizing a teleconference instead of taking a two day business trip and travel six hundred miles you will save two thousand dollars or more in total travel costs.

AccuConference technology coupled with the Internet or just your phone connection enables you to:

• Eliminate travel time and expenses
• Improve productivity
• Collaborate on business proposals in real time
• Easily and instantly exchange information with your associates around the world

With the AccuConference International Outdial feature, participants from around the world can be brought into your conferences at very reasonable rates. Add a PowerPoint presentation via the web or full face-to-face video conferencing and it’s almost like being in the same room with your associates at only a fraction of the cost of an actual meeting.

If you’re new to the idea of conferencing, but know it’s time to make it part of your business communication, AccuConference is ready to help. Our user friendly interface coupled with stellar customer service will get you on the right track for enhancing your communication without breaking your budget. Our system is reservationless, so when you want to start a conference call you just pick up the phone and dial. No extra equipment is required.

Learn more about AccuConference at http://www.aBetterConferenceCall.com or call 800.730.0626 for more information. Download the Whitepaper – Do’s and Don’ts for Participants at Your Next Conference Call

Mac Anderson, founder of Successories and (www.simpletruths.com), published a fabulous book called the “Essence of Leadership.” I challenge us to grade your performance last week on a 1-10 scale against each of these one dozen “secrets.” If we had enough nerve, we’d have a couple of our direct reports grade our performance too. You may go first.

• Leadership secret 1 — Develop a service attitude. “Service is the lifeblood of any organization. Everything flows from it and is nourished by it.” Customer service is not a department, it is an attitude.
• Leadership secret 2 — Love what you do. “Many things will catch your eye, but few will catch your heart.” Pursue those.
• Leadership secret 3 — Focus on priorities. “Focus on the critical few, not the insignificant many.”
• Leadership secret 4 — Understand the soft stuff. Mary Kay Ash once said “There are two things more powerful than money and sex. They are recognition and praise.”
• Leadership secret 5 — Build your personal and organizational brand. “In the race for quality there is no finish line.”
• Leadership secret 6 — Embrace humor and optimism. Helen Keller said “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.”
• Leadership secret 7 — Commit to excellence. According to Aristotle “Excellence is not an act, it is a habit.”
• Leadership secret 8 — Take risks. “Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb, That’s where the fruit is!” You will always miss 100 percent of the shots that you don’t take.
• Leadership secret 9 — Reinforce core values daily. Goethe wrote “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”
• Leadership secret 10 — Earn trust. According to Tom Peters “Trust, not technology, is the issue of the decade.”
• Leadership secret 11 — Take action. “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
• Leadership secret 12 is to aim for the heart because “they don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” We may not remember what someone says or does, but we never forget about how they made us feel.

How did you do? Can you clearly identify one or more actions you committed this past week in support of each of these dozen leadership secrets? We get another week to practice beginning tomorrow. Post Mac Anderson’s secrets where you can read and act on them every day. Those you lead will be most grateful — and so will your customers.

Charlie Dexter is a professor of applied business at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Tanana Valley Campus. He can be reached at 455-2837 or ffcnd@uaf.edu. This column is provided as a public service of the TVC Applied Business Department. Copies of this column can be found at www.CharlieDexter.com.

Daniel Buckingham, age 16, is a young entrepreneur living in Palmer, Alaska with a unique idea for a home business. He builds and sells outhouses in Alaska!

Down here in the lower 48, that idea may sound absurd, but in Alaska, there is still a great need for the “little shack out back” since so many Alaskan’s are living off the grid or in “the bush”, as they say up there. Some urban Alaskan’s might even add a token outhouse to their landscaping just to give an Alaskana effect along with a dog sled and a cache (a little log cabin on stilts for storing food and supplies).

Daniel sells a standard 4′x 4′x 7′ high basic plywood design for $299. It comes with a hinged door, toilet box with hole and a toilet seat. But he’s more than willing to incorporate any custom features you might envision for an extra charge. One thing not available, however, is delivery. If you want one, you need to come and get it. At least for now.

According to the 2000 US census, one in four homes in Alaska is without indoor plumbing. It’s obvious Daniel had chosen a product that fills a need, and I can only guess that there is not a lot of competition. He seems to be willing and able to put the hard work required into building a quality product, so he could do well with this venture.

His next step will be marketing. Right now he’s only using Craigslist and word-of-mouth to promote his outhouses, which has yet to bring much success. What he needs now is a full blown web presence and a marketing campaign to get the word out in areas where indoor plumbing isn’t an option. The domain names he might choose from are probably endless! With over 10 years experience in Internet marketing, I’d love to talk to him about the possibilities. So Daniel, if you read this, shoot me an email!

Daniel’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. He received some great publicity today from an article in the Anchorage Daily News. So now it’s the time to capitalize on that and get to building for your future!

So What’s the Take Away?

My guess is that many of us wish we could come up with a great new idea or product that we could develop into a million dollar home business. I think the lesson learned from Daniel is that if a 16 year old, home schooled kid can come up with a unique idea like outhouses, we certainly should be able to think of something that can fill a need in our marketing radius. But conversely, if you think you’ll turn your product into a million dollar business overnight, it just isn’t going to happen. Daniel’s outhouse idea has still not really taken off, but he has his product and his goals in place. Now it’s time go to work on the marketing, and maybe someday he’ll have made enough to finance his college education. He says he’s not trying to make a career at it, but it’s sure good preparation for what ever he does decide to pursue in the future.