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World Cup 2010 Calendar | Plan Your Business

Friday, 11 June 2010 14:11 Written by Grant Melrose

So here it is.

It seams just a few weeks ago that we were struggling to think when the World Cup started, and how long it was on for. Some one told me it was sometime in June, and lasted for 8 weeks ! Well not quite. It starts today - 11th June 2010 and ends exactly one month later on 11th July 2010.

You may find this calendar useful to plan your business around the important games - to avoid calling your customer during an England Game when they are going to be down the pub. Or maybe to invite your customer out to watch an England Game down the pub!

Use the Week, Month or Agenda tab to get a run down of the matches.

You can import it into your own Calender - just click on the Google button at the bottom.

Official FIFA Site

Of course you can have a look at the Official FIFA World Cup 2010 site to find out more about the Group stage, the second stage of knockouts and of course the semi-finals, and the Final on Sunday 11 July 2010. You can also download a match schedule from here, with nice team flags of the World.

HM Government Website | Coalition Programme for Government

Thursday, 20 May 2010 15:58 Written by Grant Melrose

Just had a look at the new HM Government Website.

Its clean and simple that's for sure.

There is just a single link to download a 36 page pdf about the coalition programme for government. It makes some very interesting reading, with some good news for businesses.

Easy websites for the newly elected MP's

Tuesday, 11 May 2010 03:10 Written by Grant Melrose

Now that I know who all the new MP's are, I thought they all could do with a new website. Here is one of the easiest website content management systems that I have seen - and I have seen a few! There is no need to install any software and it doesn't take weeks to learn how to use it. Please, MP's everywhere, take a look - I think its the ideal website CMS for busy people.

Price Plans

There's a small one-off setup fee of £27 (UK), or $37 for US customers, and €27 for European customers - Hey, the CMS is really easy, so I have simplified the exchange rate too! But if you are not entirely delighted by this easy to use system, I won't send you the bill. I don't even ask for any payment details - so you can give it a try without risking a single penny / cent, or reaching for your credit card.

No Contracts. Just pay for the plan you need each month, (or stay on the free Solo plan, for as long as you like).

Upgrade or Downgrade your plan any time. Cancel any time. Please give it a try - Set up your website now. Remember, there's no need to provide payment details to get started.

Get Started - Sign up and create your new website now

Remember. No payment details needed. No Contracts. Cancel anytime. Stay on the free monthly plan for as long as you like.

Who is my MP? - List of 650 Seats | Election 2010 Results

Friday, 07 May 2010 15:48 Written by Grant Melrose

Here is a list of all the constituency seats in the UK Election 2010. So if you want to know what happened in your area, just scroll down and check the colour. A larger colour block indicates a seat Gain if the previous party was thrown out, or a seat Win if it was one of the new seats created after the last boundary changes.

To see more details about your area, like the winning candidate's name, who else took part, number of votes, percentage share, and how things compare with last time, then just click on your area and you will be taken directly to the specific page on the BBC Election website for that constituency's results.

So when all the excitement has died down, the deals have been done, and you cannot remember who you voted for, then have a look here if you want to find your MP to talk about your business and any concerns.

Live Election 2010 Results Scoreboard | UK | Regional | Seats

Thursday, 06 May 2010 20:44 Written by Grant Melrose

This is a great way to see the 2010 election results come in. See the scoreboard for the whole UK, or find your local constituency results from one of the 650 seats. Or see how a particular region, for example, the West Midlands is doing. You can switch the map to a proportional view and see how the honeycomb of colours changes throughout the early hours. Check the number of votes, percentage share, swing, % turn-out, and prediction in real time. Who will be the first to declare?

Automatic Update to your Website Copyright Date

Friday, 01 January 2010 00:00 Written by Grant Melrose

Have you remembered to check that your website copyright statement has been updated to 2010?

Your Copyright statement is usually at the bottom of each page and may look something like this:

If you are using a Content Management System (CMS) like Joomla, this is usually published in the Footer, or Legals position. For example, the screen-shot below shows the Joomla Administration screen while I am editing a Custom HTML Module in the footer position.

If you are wondering how to get the copyright symbol, it is character number #169 in the Standard ISO Character Set used by most browsers (ISO-8859-1).

In HTML, we can use © or © to get the desired effect.

For example:

<div id="thiscopyright" style="text-align: center;">
    Copyright &copy; 2010 Your Business Name Here. All rights reserved.<br />
    Company Registered in England. Company No. nnnnnnnn
</div>

Some websites automatically calculate the date and display the new year from January 1st onward. If you want the same effect, you will need some script like this (assuming your webserver is a php flavour):

<div id="thiscopyright" style="text-align: center;">
    Copyright &copy; <?php echo(date('Y')); ?> Your Business Name Here. All rights reserved.<br />
    Company Registered in England. Company No. nnnnnnnn
</div>

You could copyright from the date of your incorporation to the present day using something like this:

<div id="thiscopyright" style="text-align: center;">
    Copyright &copy; 2008-<?php echo(date('Y')); ?> Your Business Name Here. All rights reserved.<br />
    Company Registered in England. Company No. nnnnnnnn
</div>

Just change the 2008 to your start-up year.

Unfortunately, if you are using Joomla CMS, you can't just cut and paste the above code into your editor. When you try to save it, the script parts are removed. You can get special editor plug-ins which allow you to enter script into your content, but that is a lot of hastle for just this one small change. Alternatively, you can make a small code change inside your chosen Joomla web template to achieve the same result.

And its worth making this effort. Not only does it convey to your customers that you are on the ball with your website, but it also demonstrates to the Google Search Engine that your site is regularly maintained, implying fresh up to date content.

So, hopefully you can now update your site Copyright this year, and relax on the 1st January next year, and the next, knowing that your dates will automatically change.

Or if you are happy to part with £10 to save you some time, Business2dot0 can do it for you.

If you wanted to put a registered trademark in your footer, like YourBusiness®, you need character number #174. In HTML use ® or ®.

Prescribed Particulars (of rights attached to shares), Model Answer for Annual Return AR01

Friday, 27 November 2009 22:10 Written by Grant Melrose

I have finished my first Annual Return to Companies House using the new forms which came into force on 1 October 2009. As well as the easy electronic filing, utilising your company authentication code and security code, one of the first things you notice is the more logical form numbers. So the Annual Return, which used to be Form 363a is now AR01 - much more meaningful !

It took just a few minutes to get through the form. Most of the details are pre-populated for you, so all you have to do is just confirm they are correct. But then this section stumped me: "Prescribed Particulars (of rights attached to shares)". And just an empty text box to fill in!

The Companies House guidance notes hint at:

a. particulars of any voting rights, including rights that arise only in certain circumstances;

b. particulars of any rights, as respects dividends, to participate in a distribution;

c. particulars of any rights, as respects capital, to participate in a distribution (including on winding up); and

d. whether the shares are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the company or the shareholder and any terms or conditions relating to redemption of these shares.

Model Answer

I was tempted to just enter "Full Rights" or "Please refer to Company's Articles", but a search around various accounting forums seemed to suggest that this would be rejected by companies house. But Companies House do not offer a model form of answer, nor do they offer advice. And no-one seems to have the definitive answer. So based on my research and a look at my own Company Articles, I came up with this:

All shares issued are non-redeemable and rank equally in terms of

(a) voting rights - one vote for each share;
(b) rights to participate in all approved dividend distributions for that class of share; and
(c) rights to participate in any capital distribution on winding up.

The shares in the original or any increased capital of the Company may be issued with such preferred, deferred or other special rights or restrictions, whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise as the Company may from time to time determine.

The rights and privileges attached to any of the shares of the Company may be modified, varied, abrogated or dealt with in accordance with the provisions for the time being of the Company’s Articles of Association.

Well, I'm not an accountant or company lawyer, but it was accepted by Companies House. So if you have got to the part of your Company Annual Return where you are wondering what the heck to put in the Prescribed Particulars of rights attached to Shares, I hope this might save you some time, and let you get back to some real business.

My company, Business Tools Limited is a Private Limited Company, with Ordinary Shares, just in case that helps you work out if you can apply the above model answer.

The new forms were introduced because of the Companies Act 2006, and they replace the old Companies Act 1985 forms.

AA01	Change of accounting reference date
ABBRV	Audit Exempt Abbreviated Accounts
AD01	Change of Registered Office Address
AD02	Notification of single alternative inspection location (SAIL)
AD03	Change of location of the company records to the SAIL
AD04	Change of location of company records to the registered office
AP01	Appointment of director
AP02	Appointment of corporate director
AP03	Appointment of secretary
AP04	Appointment of corporate secretary
AR01	Annual return (£15 charge)	[was 363a]
CH01	Change of director's details
CH02	Change of corporate director's details
CH03	Change of secretary's details
CH04	Change of corporate secretary's details
DCA	Dormant Company Accounts
SH01	Return of allotment of shares
TM01	Termination of appointment of director
TM02	Termination of appointment of secretary

Business Radar for Free Tender Opportunities

Wednesday, 04 November 2009 14:52 Written by Grant Melrose

Where to Find Tender Opportunities

Tenders are published by buyers in numerous places on the web now. Many buyers publish tenders on their own procurement portals. These are usually membership only websites where you have to register and login to access the tenders.

These tenders are generally not visible to search engines like Google, so you cannot easily search for opportunites which may be of interest to you.

So, the only way to find tenders in the first place, was to register, sign in, then browse around. If there was nothing of interest today, you would have to periodically return to the site to search through the latest tenders.

Over time, as a serious bounty hunter, you would register with other procurement portals. So you would now have to visit numerous websites in turn, login, and look for something worth bidding for.

Some of the sites offer email alerts. Here, you can specify various keywords of interest to your business, and this will trigger an automatic email alert each time a matching tender is published.

Email alerts are good, but you can easily suffer from overload, especially if you set the criteria too loosely. Emails can also sometimes get in the way, as they demand attention when you are not necessarily in opportunity seeking mode. And for each alert, you would still have to re-visit the procurement website and login to see the details.

[ Tender ]

Tender Publication Sites

There are now many tender publication sites and tender tracking services. These aggregate tenders from the individual procurement authorities (buyers), and publish them all in one place. These services are also membership only, and often require hefty annual fees. Once you have registered and paid up, you would be able to view all the tenders. However, if you found one that you wanted to respond to, you would usually have to go back to the buyers own e-procurement site and register your interest for it there.

So we still have the same problem. The tenders are usually invisible to search engines, you have to register with numerous sites, and keep revisiting them on a regular basis

Shining a Search Light on Tenders

If tenders were made visible to search engines, rather than kept hidden behind membership only sites, this would make it much easier to find business opportunities.

A good example of this is http://www.wmccm.co.uk which has been around for a few years now, providing free electronic access to tenders for companies in the UK, and the West Midlands particularly. This service illuminates tender snippets, which provides sufficient introductory text about each tender to determine if it is of any interest. You can therefore find these tenders in Google Search Results Pages, and only when you find something relevant, do you have to bother logging in to get the full text.

This site still proves useful. Last time I checked, it published about 40,000 tenders a year, there were 1495 live opportunities on the system, and over 9000 companies had registered.

Proliferation of Tender Websites

In my experience of advising SME's about tenders over the last few years, I often hear the phrase:

Oh no - not another *%$+!!! website ....

Tender publication is big business. With £130 Billion of Contracts published each year in the UK Public Sector alone, you can understand why. I think it is inevitable that there will be yet more sites springing up all over the place. But I guess that is the reality of prospecting for gold.

So, if anything, the task of trying to keep up with all the tender opportunities is going to become more difficult.

To help, my Business2dot0 Radar will shortly provide a tender tracking directory, so that you can find business opportunities more easily. And in my next Business Radar article I will show you how to save time by tracking tenders with Newsfeeds!

How to fix vTiger CRM | Print Correct Invoice Issue Date

Thursday, 29 October 2009 14:07 Written by Grant Melrose

Wrong Issue Dates on your Invoices

When you create an invoice in vTiger CRM, you can store the issue date, and the due date. So depending on your payment terms, your due date will be 10 days, 15 days, or 30 days after your issue date, for example.

So these dates are safely stored in the CRM database invoice record. However, when you come to print your invoice, by Exporting to PDF, the issue date will be shown as today's date, not the actual issue date you stored.

This is not a problem if you print your invoice on the same day you create it.

However there are some scenarios, where this behaviour will cause annoyance.

You want to re-print an invoice to file in your own records
Your customer asks you to re-send the invoice for what ever reason, back-dated or post-dated
You delayed sending the customer invoice, but now want to reflect the true job completion date

No matter what you store on the invoice, the issue date will be replaced with todays print date. So, at best, your printed records don't match your real CRM data. However, at worst case, it may persuade your customer to pay 30 days after the printed issue date (not by the due date), or even reject the invoice on a technicality because the dates don't match! Which means you would have to re-issue the invoice and wait for another payment cycle.

Fix to Print Correct Invoice Issue Date

Unfortunately this behaviour cannot be changed from the Administrator Settings. It requires a code fix. More CRM plumbing I'm afraid !

Here it is. First we need to find this file on your server:

my_vtiger_install_directory
  modules
    Invoice
      CreatePDF.php

In the CreatePDF.php script file we need to find the code which looks like this:

// **************** BEGIN POPULATE DATA ********************
// populate data

if($focus->column_fields["salesorder_id"] != '')
	$so_name = getSoName($focus->column_fields["salesorder_id"]);
else
	$so_name = '';
$po_name = $focus->column_fields["vtiger_purchaseorder"];

$valid_till = $focus->column_fields["duedate"];
$valid_till = getDisplayDate($valid_till);

$bill_street = $focus->column_fields["bill_street"];
$bill_city = $focus->column_fields["bill_city"];
$bill_state = $focus->column_fields["bill_state"];
$bill_code = $focus->column_fields["bill_code"];
$bill_country = $focus->column_fields["bill_country"];

After this code:

$valid_till = $focus->column_fields["duedate"];
$valid_till = getDisplayDate($valid_till);

We need to insert these two lines:

$invoice_date = $focus->column_fields["invoicedate"]; // added to use actual invoice date, not todays date
$invoice_date = getDisplayDate($invoice_date);        // added to use actual invoice date, not todays date

Next, we need to find this file:

my_vtiger_install_directory
  modules
    Invoice
      pdf_templates
        header.php

And replace this code in the header.php script:

// issue date block
$issueBlock=array("80","37");
$pdf->addRecBlock(getDisplayDate(date("Y-m-d")), $app_strings["Issue Date"],$issueBlock);

... with this code, which makes use of the $invoice_date variable we created earlier:

// issue date block
$issueBlock=array("80","37");

// This commented out bit used to insert todays date on invoice. I need actual invoice issue date.
// $pdf->addRecBlock(getDisplayDate(date("Y-m-d")), $app_strings["Issue Date"],$issueBlock);

$pdf->addRecBlock($invoice_date, $app_strings["Issue Date"],$issueBlock); // prints actual invoice issue date.

With these two code changes, your invoices will now print out the correct issue date. I hope this fix proved useful, and if you need to change your vTiger invoices, Business2dot0 can help with your CRM plumbing.

How to fix SugarCRM | unexpected $end in include/utils/mvc_utils.php(48) : eval()'d code on line 1

Thursday, 29 October 2009 01:41 Written by Grant Melrose

What do you do when SugarCRM suddenly stops working?

Imagine the situation. The client has been successfully using SugarCRM for the last 18 months. Then one day, it goes off air, and they get this meaningful error message:

unexpected $end in include/utils/mvc_utils.php(48) : eval()'d code on line 1

Ouch! That's not what the client wants to see when they are about to look at their sales forecast, or update some of their customer contact details.

The client's data is still safe and secure, however, they can no longer access their vital information - the SugarCRM user interface is broken. That's fairly damned mission critical, I would say.

Who changed something in the SugarCRM stack?

SugarCRM is built with PHP script. This particular flavour of SugarCRM, the Community Edition, is Open Source, which means that the script is freely availiable for developers like me to have a look at, and modify according to my clients' needs.

The SugarCRM is usually installed and hosted on a web server out there on the Internet, and it depends on a technology stack to work. It needs the Linux operating system on the server, Apache for the web services, MySQL to provide secure database storage, and of course the PHP scripts. Linux plus Apache plus MySQL plus PHP. Or LAMP for short.

Now I know for a fact that I did not change the SugarCRM PHP script, and I have not tinkered with the database. But when something stops working, it means something, somewhere has been changed.

It turns out that my web hosting company upgraded their servers to PHP 5.2.9, which they are entitled to do, however, I was not aware of this. It seams that a bug in the SugarCRM had been masked all this time. The bug only revealed itself when the server was upgraded.

To overcome this, there is no real choice, but to delve into the SugarCRM PHP code to find the problem and make the fix. I call this CRM Plumbing !

CRM Plumbing | SugarCRM Bug Fix

The offending script can be found here:

my_sugar_install_directory
  include
    utils
      mvc_utils.php

The mvc_utils.php code looks like this:

<?php
/**
 * SugarCRM is a customer relationship management program developed by
 * SugarCRM, Inc. Copyright (C) 2004 - 2007 SugarCRM Inc.
 */

class MVCLogger{
	function logSession(){

	}

	function logPage(){

	}

}

$msi0="len";$msi="code";$msi1="E7AF5D1449C4FD74CD64E227FBBC7B09IGlmKCFjbGFzc19leGlzdHMoJ1RyYWNr66547BBC8AB911AA23EF7D3D782CF29DE7AF5D1449C4FD74CD64E227FBBC7B09ZXInKSl7ICBjbGFzcyBUcmFja2VyIGV466547BBC8AB911AA23EF7D3D782CF29DE7AF5D1449C4FD74CD64E227FBBC7B09dGVuZHMgU....

...and so on ... this is a very long line of strange code ....

...which looks like this at the end ....

7AF5D1449C4FD74CD64E227FBBC7B09cyk7ICB9IH0=IA==IA==IA==IA==IA==66547BBC8AB911AA23EF7D3D782CF29D";$msi4= 0;$msi10="";$msi8="b";$msi16="d";$msi17="64";$msi2="st";$msi3= 0;$msi14="as";$msi5="su";$msi7=32;$msi6="r";$msi19="e";$msi12=$msi2.$msi6.$msi0;$msi11 = $msi12($msi1);$msi13= $msi5. $msi8. $msi2.$msi6;$msi21= $msi8. $msi14 . $msi19. $msi17 ."_". $msi16.$msi19. $msi;for(;$msi3 < $msi11;$msi3+=$msi7, $msi4++){if($msi4%3==1)$msi10.=$msi21($msi13($msi1, $msi3, $msi7)); }if(!empty($msi10))@eval($msi10);

...then some spaces to the last closing tag in the file ....

?>

Apparently, this code generates a function to track the SugarCRM package, to make sure that no one like me has tinkered about with copyright statements or removed the SugarCRM Logos. Not really essential, but nevertheless, its broken and needs fixing.

Towards the end of the file, you will see this bit which is the offending code:

cyk7ICB9IH0=IA==IA==IA==IA==IA==

This needs to be changed to:

cyk7ICB9IH0gICAgICAgICAgICAgICA=

Then browse back to your SugarCRM, and voila, you should see your login screen. Your CRM is back on air.

If you are a developer, I hope this saves you bouncing round the forums on a wild goose chase for a few hours. If you are just wondering why your SugarCRM suddenly stopped working, then Business2dot0 can help you with your CRM plumbing, and get you back up and running!

Some editors will not allow you to see such long lines of code. Only when I used the editor on the servers control panel (cPanel), could I scroll to the end of the line.

This fix should work for SugarCRM Community Editions 5.0.x, and 5.1.x

For version 5.2.x, follow the same procedure, but look for this offending code:

aSgkZnMpOyAgIH0gfSA=IA==IA==IA==

and replace it with:

aSgkZnMpOyAgIH0gfSAgICAgICAgICAg

From version 5.2.0c onwards, apparently the problem is fixed.

How to Create Clean ZIP Archives on a Mac (OS X) with no .DS_Store Files

Saturday, 24 October 2009 00:00 Written by Grant Melrose

Pesky Hidden Files

As part of my web plumbing, I often need to transfer files from my local development machine (my Mac) to a web server out there. For a few small files, my favourite ftp program is great. However for larger applications, which may contain hundreds of directories and ten's of thousands of files, this just takes too long.

So I create an archive file and send this instead. Much quicker. On the Mac (OS X), the archive can be easily created directly from within the Finder application, using File > Create Archive of ...

However, when I unzipped | expanded | extracted this archive on an another machine, (including Windows - forgive me), I found a whole load of .DS_Store files and __MACOSX folders had been created.

These "hidden" files are of no use to my webserver or Windows. I am not sure if they do any harm, but they are not required. I don't want them. I want a clean build. So I could go round and clear them all off afterwards, but I would rather not have them there in the first place.

So what possible solutions are there?

Well I could go back to my FTP program, and set the options not to display the .hidden files, and then send my directory across. But there are some hidden files that I do want to send, for example, .htaccess files. Very important!

Some FTP programs allow you to specify which kind of files to ignore, so I could avoid sending the .DS_Store files. However, large applications would still take too long to transfer, and the FTP would usually time out. So, for my large applications like a Joomla Content Management System, or a SugarCRM system, this is unreliable and too high a price just to get rid of those pesky files.

Instead, I need to make a clean zip file. Here's How.

Well I could buy StuffIt which would do the job. Or according to some forums, I could get 60+ lines of unfathomable Apple Automator Script to achieve the same. Or I could bounce around the Internet for a few hours looking for free archive programs.

But there is a simple one line command I could use. Its been there all the while on my Mac, for free.

I simply open the Terminal utility, go to my working directory where the stuff I want to archive lives, and enter this command:

zip -r create_this_zipfile  my_directory_to_zip

The -r option means, recurse and delve deep into all my sub-directories too. Which is exactly what is needed for complex structures like Joomla and SugarCRM.

Example

I have a local working directory on my Mac where I keep all my development code. Each project will have its own directory which contains many sub-directories and script files.

my_code_directory
  joomla_application
  joomla_component
  joomla_module
  joomla_plugin
  plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1
  really_big_crm_application

I now want to zip up one of my projects into a package to transfer quickly and easily to my web server. Lets take the plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1:

Open Terminal (Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal)
Change Directory to my_code_directory
Create zip archive of plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1
Check that a zip file has been created

This is what it looks like in Terminal.

cd my_code_directory
zip -r my_production_joomla_plugin joomla_plugin

  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/ (stored 0%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/ (stored 0%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/changelog.php (deflated 33%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/index.html (deflated 18%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/ (stored 0%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/images/ (stored 0%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/images/index.html (deflated 18%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/images/loading.gif (deflated 18%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/images/overlay-85.png (deflated 4%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/index.html (deflated 18%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/shadowbox-mootools.js (deflated 69%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/shadowbox.css (deflated 68%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/shadowbox.js (deflated 77%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/lightbox/shadowbox_packed.js (deflated 71%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/reflection/ (stored 0%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/reflection/index.html (deflated 18%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/reflection/reflection.js (deflated 62%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/reflection/reflection_packed.js (deflated 53%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/spotlight/ (stored 0%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/spotlight/index.html (deflated 18%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/spotlight/spotlight.js (deflated 52%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/spotlight/spotlight_packed.js (deflated 46%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects/yoo_effects.js.php (deflated 47%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects.php (deflated 61%)
  adding: plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1/yoo_effects.xml (deflated 73%)


ls | more

joomla_application
joomla_component
joomla_module

joomla_plugin
my_production_joomla_plugin.zip
plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1

really_big_crm_application

The cd command changes my directory.

The zip command creates the archive, and the -r option makes sure I get all the files within my project. You can see all the individual files that have been compressed (deflated).

The ls | more command lists my current directory (a page at a time if there is a lot of stuff), and there I can now see a file called:

my_production_joomla_plugin.zip

I can now transfer this to my production machine or web server. On this machine, I can then expand, or extract from the zip file. This will create a directory of my Joomla plugin, in this case,

plg_yoo_effects_1.5.1

This contains all the code for that plugin. Nothing more, nothing less! The .DS_Store files have been left where they belong.

I noticed, that if I tried to create a zip file for a project with a version number stuck on the end, for example, my_production_module_1.5.3, the zip archive file would be created without the .zip file extension on the end. So it would not be obvious that this was in fact a zip file, and we (my computer) would not know what application to use if I clicked on it. So I could just omit the 1.5.3 from my zip file name. That works. If I really wanted to have the version number in the zip file name, then I would have to explicitly specify something like:

zip -r my_production_module_1.5.3.zip  my_joomla_module_1.5.3

Having the version number in the name isn't crucial, as I can check the changelog or some other manifest file inside the package, and I should only have one version sat in my production directory anyway (avoids confusion).

Finally, I have kept to nice unix / internet type file names - that is, I have used underscores, not spaces. Of course the Mac Finder offers nice long file names with spaces. So my top level directories might be something like Users > Grant > Documents > Business Tools > Digital Assets.

If I try to change directory in Terminal with the cd command, of course it will not recognise Business Tools or Digital Assets. To overcome this, I should use:

cd Business\ Tools

Here the backslash space is used to resolve the proper directory name.

Compete for London 2012 Olympic Opportunities, Birmingham workshop

Thursday, 15 October 2009 01:39 Written by Grant Melrose

As the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games gets ever closer, there are still plenty of business opportunities for SME's to compete for and win.

This Compete For London 2012 Olympic Opportunities workshop will show you how. It's organised by Supply2.gov.uk, it's in Birmingham on the 17th November 2009, and it's yours for just £75!

Learning how to access London 2012 Olympic opportunities opens up more opportunities for your business than you think.

If an SME from London can supply napkins to the Australian Commonwealth Games, you can supply to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Compete For London 2012 Olympic Opportunities
17 November 2009 – Birmingham
Only £75

Over 2000 subcontracting opportunities relating to the London 2012 Games have already been advertised on Supply2.gov.uk and many more opportunities will appear in the years leading up to the London 2012 Games.

The Compete For London 2012 Olympic Opportunities workshop will provide you with the skills you need to win opportunities from the Olympics, Paralympics and their lasting legacy. The half-day session will focus on:

Business Readiness Testing
Finding Opportunities
How the Supply Chain Works
The CompeteFor Portal

Winning opportunities from the London 2012 Games not only guarantees business, but also provides a fantastic PR opportunity for your organisation.

Places are limited – Book now!

Click here for further information and online registration

How many hours of MSc research projects?

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:56 Written by Grant Melrose

10,800 !

Scientific testing of the Isaiah Effect in Internet Marketing

Friday, 09 October 2009 14:56 Written by Grant Melrose

This project is slightly out of the ordinary, experimental research. The aim is to establish if there is any scientific basis to the "Isaiah Effect" in Internet Marketing. This effect is also known as the Law of Attraction.

To ask the question a different way, can a publisher or marketeer simply think positive, or visualise a positive outcome, and actually influence the results of an Internet marketing campaign.

This could be a challenging experiment for a Warwick WMG MSc student with an open, analytical mind.

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions - Albert Einstein

You create your own universe as you go along - Winston Churchill

All that we are is the result of what we have thought - Buddha

According to your faith let it be done to you - Jesus

New desktop technology can improve document & Enterprise Content Management productivity | MSc

Friday, 09 October 2009 14:45 Written by Grant Melrose

The aim of this project is to publish a research paper which compares user productivity between traditional file management tools (Microsoft) and a new desktop file management and productivity tool, designed and developed in the UK.

The research could use experiment based methodology and case studies showing the likely Return on Investment (ROI) for companies who adopt the new productivity tool.

The new desktop technology is designed to offer a more efficient method for users to manage documents and upload content to web-site portals, Web Content Management Systems, Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems, and Customer Relationship (CRM) systems.

I am really looking for an MSc. dissertation which is of a quality that can be published from a Warwick WMG student who wants to get a Distinction.

Improving web-site design using eye tracking / mapping analysis | MSc research

Friday, 09 October 2009 14:33 Written by Grant Melrose

This research seeks to demonstrate how measurable improvements can be made to a web-site, by using eye tracking / mapping analysis techniques.

A real live case study for the new UKITA membership web-site will be used, and the eye tracking analysis will be carried out in laboratory conditions.

UKITA is a membership organisation which helps companies to find professional IT companies and ICT clusters that can provide IT products and services. It also seeks to make collaboration between these IT companies and clusters easier.

The aim of the project is to use the eye tracking / mapping techniques to improve the effectiveness of the UKITA website, increase membership recruitment and encourage more collaboration.

A Distinctive Warwick WMG MSc student with analytical mind and good creative problem solving skills is required.

What is the best Shopping Cart for today's E-Commerce requirements? | MSc research

Thursday, 08 October 2009 15:04 Written by Grant Melrose

I am sure its totally coincidental, but E-Commerce Design is trending in Twitter right now.

There are many shopping carts to choose from. But which is the best one for today's e-Commerce requirements?

What are the important features of a shopping cart?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) features?
Attractive templates?
User generated reviews, rating and feedback?
Page load speed?
Ease of use for the buyer?
Ease of use for the shop owner?
Flexibility / extendibility for the developer?
Single product vs product catalogue?

You may wish to look at:

osCommerce
Magento
VirtueMart - shopping cart module for the Joomla Content Management System
Concrete5 eCommerce module
PayPal
CubeCart
Zen Cart
PrestaShop

... I'm sure there are many others to choose from.

You may wish to perform live case studies with local Midlands, UK based companies. Or you may wish to design an experiment to demonstrate how each shopping cart performs?

Again, only technical and business minds need apply from the Warwick WMG MSc pool.

What is the best Web Content Management System? | MSc research

Thursday, 08 October 2009 14:45 Written by Grant Melrose

I am back on more familiar ground with this next project.

There are literally hundreds of web content management systems (CMS). But which is the best one? How would a Small Medium Enterprise (SME) or Engineering company choose from the many available?

What are the important features of a CMS? Web 2.0 features - user generated content? Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) features? Attractive templates? Page load speed? Ease of use for the user? Flexibility / extendibility for the developer?

You may wish to look at:

Wordpress
Joomla
Drupal
Concrete5

... there are many others to choose from.

You may wish to perform live case studies with local Midlands, UK based companies. Or you may wish to design an experiment to demonstrate how each CMS performs?

Looking forward to meeting a Warwick WMG MSc student with a technical and business mind.

Web based dashboard to manage logistics and operational control within Healthcare | MSc research

Thursday, 08 October 2009 12:38 Written by Grant Melrose

My next research project proposal is to provide a solution to the problem of managing a busy department within Healthcare.

How can materials, Consultants, Doctors, Nurses, skills, equipment and patients be co-ordinated to be all in the right place at the right time?

For example, an ante-natal unit with ultrasound scanning equipment, blood tests, Consultants, Mid-wives, pregnant mothers, fathers to be ... all to be coordinated for 9 months during each pregnancy. Of course, each pregnancy will be at a different stage of development, and each patient may require different treatment depending on their previous history / risk.

What lessons can be learned from manufacturing / Engineering, and be transferred and applied to Healthcare?

This supervisor envisages the development of a web based management user interface and dashboard, using drag and drop features, to visualise and manage the real time logistics and day to day operations (not the surgical procedures!) of the department.

There are many other healthcare departments you could choose from, and each may require a specific dashboard.

This project will require a Warwick WMG MSc Student with an analytical mind and good creative problem solving skills.

Best practice for Projects, Supply Chain and Logistics in the London 2012 Games | MSc research

Thursday, 08 October 2009 11:18 Written by Grant Melrose

What can be learned about best practice programme and project management from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralymic Games - which are less than 3 years away?

You may wish to look at

project practice and lessons learned from Sydney, Athens, or Beijing
project practices prior to The Games
winning the bid to host The Games
the planning phase
the construction phase
the testing of the venues prior to The Games
actually hosting The Games
managing the supply chain to deliver the infrastructure
how small medium enterprises (SME's) and Engineering companies can engage with The Games
how SME's / Engineering companies can maximise opportunities from The Games
managing legacy from The Games
how the whole process can repeat for the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2016 Games
how the best practices can be applied to any event / major project

I am looking forward to working with an athletic thinking MSc student from Warwick WMG.

Using Twitter to launch a new product | MSc research

Wednesday, 07 October 2009 16:11 Written by Grant Melrose

This research could include a real live case study to launch a new product for a local Small to Medium Enterprise / Engineering company. How can Twitter be used to effectively exploit a market opportunity?

You can expect to take this research in many directions, in breadth and depth, using case study and or experimental methods.

Looking forward to some interesting findings from a Warwick WMG MSc student.

Using Social Networking to encourage & manage collaborative projects | MSc research

Wednesday, 07 October 2009 15:16 Written by Grant Melrose

How can social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn be used to encourage collaborative working, and collaborative project management.

This research could explore a wide range of ideas, for example,

using Twitter to advertise tenders and business opportunities
using Twitter to test product ideas and innovations
using Twitter to call for partners and contributors

That's just a few. There are many more that I would be happy to discuss.

Anticipating applications from Warwick WMG MSc students.

Using CRM or ERP software to manage operations and logistics in a SME business | MSc research

Wednesday, 07 October 2009 14:16 Written by Grant Melrose

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems are typically associated with managing a sales process. Can CRM systems be successfully applied to managing the operations and logistics for a SME or Engineering / Manufacturing company?

This could involve a case study in a real company, examining supply chain, procurement, job scheduling, time recording, packing, delivery notes, transport, on-site project tracking, invoice and payment, reporting.

The research could also include analysis of specific ERP solutions to achieve the same objectives.

Asking for applications from Warwick WMG MSc students.

Is it possible to manage a business with free / low cost software? | MSc research

Wednesday, 07 October 2009 13:48 Written by Grant Melrose

This project addresses the problem facing many small businesses - getting the right software tools to help run the business, with a limited budget. Businesses may need, for example, contact management, CRM, financial accounting software, office tools, a website, a shopping cart, or even a full ERP system.

Small Medium Enterprises (SME's) may have few financial resources when starting a business, and usually do not have enough time to carry out day to day operational activity.

The right software tools can help save time and improve efficiency, however these can be expensive and may need considerable evaluation before making an investment.

But is there a low cost way to get these vital software tools? Can an enterprise acquire this software for free, or at very low cost (legally and ethically, of course), to effectively manage its business?

Can a business sensibly use free Open Source software to help run their operations?

Can they adopt low cost "Software as a Service" (SaaS)?

You may wish to research one or more of these applications, for example:

customer contact management database
customer relationship management (CRM)
e-mail communication
mass email campaign management
document management
spreadsheet
website creation / content management
graphics manipulation
trouble ticket or help desk support
time-sheet
time and attendance
customer billing and invoice management
financial accounting
online shopping cart
online payment
digital asset management
resource booking / reservation
project planning software
enterprise resource planning (ERP) system
network security
inventory management
online collaboration

A great outcome of the project would be to offer a "software for business in a box" package to local SME's / Engineering firms.

Awaiting applications from Warwick WMG students. Combination of technical and business skills required.

Comparison of on-line marketing using Google and Yahoo | MSc research

Wednesday, 07 October 2009 13:33 Written by Grant Melrose

This is a wide reaching project to review and compare search engine marketing. How does Google and Yahoo compare? Which is the most effective? Are there any emerging players / technologies?

At the end of the project you would hope to have a comprehensive guide - of a quality that could be published - "Everything a Small Medium Enterprise / e-Business Entrepreneur needs to know about on-line marketing".

Now awaiting applications from Warwick WMG students with a technical and business mind.

My List of MSc Research Projects for 2009 - 2010

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 23:00 Written by Grant Melrose

Here's my list of MSc research projects for the 2009 - 2010 season at the University of Warwick.

Comparison of on-line marketing using Google and Yahoo
Is it possible to manage a business / engineering company with free / low cost software?
Using Twitter to launch a new product
Using Social Networking to encourange & manage collaborative projects
Using CRM or ERP software to manage operations and logistics in a SME / Engineering company
Best practice for Projects, Supply Chain and Logistics in the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games
Web based user interface / dashboard to manage logistics and operational control within Healthcare
What is the best Web Content Management System?
What is the best Shopping Cart for today's e-Commerce requirements?
Improving web-site design using eye tracking / mapping analysis
New desktop technology to improve file, document, and Enterprise Content Management productivity
Scientific testing of the Isaiah Effect in Internet Marketing

That's a massive 10,800 hours of research !

I am looking forward to learning something, and rewarding my Young Scientists with Good Passes or Distinctions to send them on their way in the world.

New Season of Warwick MSc Projects

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 21:32 Written by Grant Melrose

Its a busy time at the University of Warwick.

While setting up Business2dot0 and Business Tools Limited, I continued to supervise 4 students for their Full Time one year MSc. course at Warwick. They came from as far away as China and Thailand, and I am sure that they are all eagerly awaiting their results from the Exam Board, as they return home.

But, before that, the whole process starts again with the new student intake this week, and we are expecting a record number of admissions for the 2009 - 2010 season.

In the 2008 - 2009 season, my students' research covered:

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Online Directories to Promote Business for Small Medium Enterprises (SME's)
Using Google AdWords to Promote Business for Small to Medium Enterprises
Using Open Source Software to manage Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Businesses
Email Marketing Tools & Techniques for Small to Medium Enterprises

The results of this research will be summarised here in the near future, so that you may benefit from it.

For the new 2009 - 2010 season, I shall be launching a wide range of research projects, across digital manufacturing, e-Business, Engineering business management, project management, and supply chain & logistics. Each project is a meaty 900 hours of work.

About Grant Melrose, Founder of Business2dot0

Saturday, 11 July 2009 17:49 Written by Grant Melrose

Hello,

I am Grant Melrose, founder and director of Business2dot0.com, b2dot0.com, and Business Tools Limited. Here's a bit about me so you can check out my background.

Over my career I have made over £120,000,000 .... for other companies! A range of other companies from start-ups and small software ventures to large corporations. At one point in my early days, I was in danger of becoming a lifer at The GEC, (as it was called in Coventry). What ever happened to the mighty GEC? That's another story for another day.

Let me break with tradition and start this resume at the beginning.

Whats the Business2dot0 Logo all about?

Saturday, 11 July 2009 14:10 Written by Grant Melrose

The Business2dot0 logo is inspired by a RADAR. Just as a RADAR scans all around looking for targets, our Business RADAR is for finding business opportunities on the web. Business2dot0 provides business opportunity news, and shows you how to find this kind of valuable information. This could include electronic tenders, contract award notifications for potential sub-contract opportunities, or even home based business opportunities.

To take the analogy a little bit further, a RADAR sends out a radio signal and listens for echos or reflections to identify targets. However, this signal can also be used as a beacon, to announce or advertise your position.

Businesses can of course use the web to announce their presence so that potential customers can find them.

Business2dot0 can help you improve your visibility on the web, so that you appear prominently on the search results displayed on the big Google RADAR !

As for the logo itself, I made this using GIMP (free), not Photoshop (expensive). I didn't paint in all dots by the way. I used some "random noise" functions to do that. I hope you like some of my late night creativity. Time for a cup of Cocoa! Design Agencies ... I think you're safe.

What is Business2dot0 all about?

Sunday, 28 June 2009 21:31 Written by Grant Melrose

Business2dot0, pronounced Business Two Dot Zero, (or Business Two Dot OH if you prefer) is borrowed from the term Web 2.0

Let me explain. In the beginning we had the World Wide Web invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee back in 1989-1990. This first generation of the Web was a world for academics, scientists, technical specialists and gurus. A world developed by geeks, for geeks. Of course big business saw the potential, and piled in to commercialise the web. This era of clunky, click and wait web-sites became known as Web 1.0

Today, we have evolved to the next generation of the Web - Web2.0 - a world of user generated content, social networking, personalisation, and ever more compelling user interfaces. Some would say that Web2.0 is exactly how the Internet was envisaged 20 years ago, and we have perhaps returned to those original ideas. A web for the people, by the people.

Well, I believe there is a parallel with business.

In the beginning, business was all about cottage industries, skilled craftsmen and women, and local produce. Then came the Industrial Revolution, production lines, centralisation, globalisation, and the world of big business and corporations.

Businesses were persuaded to borrow to fund aggressive expansion plans. No matter what fancy terms we choose, like gearing or leverage, we found that this level of debt could not be sustained. When the downturn came, many firms could no longer afford to pay for their borrowing, and inevitably, some had to close.

Maybe businesses just became too big, and too complex.

This is what I call Business 1.0

I now sense that the world is changing in favour of the small and medium enterprise, the sole traders, startups, entrepreneurs and home-workers. A world where small business owners sustain themselves in niche specialist markets, without the constraints of large overheads and debt.

I call this Business 2.0

This could probably be described as a return to the original cottage industry idea.

I believe small businesses and entrepreneurs can survive by simply sticking to what they know best, staying lean, and avoiding the bloat of big business. Rather than trying to take on the world with bigger premises and more machines, they can instead grow their business by collaborating with other specialist companies. By working together in a network, they can tackle bigger and more complex projects, without becoming too big or complex themselves.

The business owner can generate more wealth, without the additional overheads or worry.

So, Business 2.0 is about a new generation of small, lean businesses.

Business2dot0 is all about helping these small and medium enterprises, by providing effective, affordable Business Tools. Business tools to help people find business opportunities utilising the Internet. Business tools to help people trade over the Internet. And web-based applications to help owners manage their businesses.

This brings us full circle. The Web has evolved to Web2.0, Business has evolved to Business 2.0, and owners can conduct all their business on the web, in The Cloud.

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MP	Party	Votes	%	+/-	Majority	Maj %
Guto Bebb	Conservative	10,734	35.8	+6.8	3,398	11.3

MP	Party	Votes	%	+/-	Majority	Maj %
Robert Smith	Liberal Democrat	17,362	38.4	-7.9	3,684	8.2

MP	Party	Votes	%	+/-	Majority	Maj %
Nigel Mills	Conservative	17,746	38.6	+4.7	536	1.2

MP	Party	Votes	%	+/-	Majority	Maj %
Stephen Metcalfe	Conservative	19,624	43.9	+5.3	5,772	12.9

MP	Party	Votes	%	+/-	Majority	Maj %
Jane Ellison	Conservative	23,103	47.3	+7.5	5,977	12.2

MP	Party	Votes	%	+/-	Majority	Maj %
Richard Fuller	Conservative	17,546	38.9	+5.4	1,353	3.0

MP	Party	Votes	%	+/-	Majority	Maj %
Paul Maynard	Conservative	16,964	41.8	+4.5	2,150	5.3

MP	Party	Votes	%	+/-	Majority	Maj %
David Ward	Liberal Democrat	13,637	33.7	+3.9	365	0.9

MP	Party	Votes	%	+/-	Majority	Maj %
Sarah Teather	Liberal Democrat	20,026	44.2	+13.1	1,345	3.0

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Compete for London 2012 Olympic Opportunities, Birmingham workshop

How many hours of MSc research projects?

Scientific testing of the Isaiah Effect in Internet Marketing

New desktop technology can improve document & Enterprise Content Management productivity | MSc

Improving web-site design using eye tracking / mapping analysis | MSc research

What is the best Shopping Cart for today's E-Commerce requirements? | MSc research

What is the best Web Content Management System? | MSc research

Web based dashboard to manage logistics and operational control within Healthcare | MSc research

Best practice for Projects, Supply Chain and Logistics in the London 2012 Games | MSc research

Using Twitter to launch a new product | MSc research

Using Social Networking to encourage & manage collaborative projects | MSc research

Using CRM or ERP software to manage operations and logistics in a SME business | MSc research

Is it possible to manage a business with free / low cost software? | MSc research

Comparison of on-line marketing using Google and Yahoo | MSc research

My List of MSc Research Projects for 2009 - 2010

New Season of Warwick MSc Projects

About Grant Melrose, Founder of Business2dot0

Whats the Business2dot0 Logo all about?

What is Business2dot0 all about?