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How Rogers and BlackBerry help Herrle’s Market grow great strawberries

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BlackBerry Q10We met Trevor from @HerrlesMarket through Twitter, where he’s constantly engaging with his customers and sharing some farm goodness. He kept telling us how much he loves his BlackBerry smartphone and how his “BlackBerry on the Rogers network,” as he describes it, helps him as a business. So we couldn’t pass up a chance to get his point of view on BlackBerry 10 and learn how smartphones help him grow beautifully red and plump strawberries. Read on to learn his secrets.

Tell us more about your business?

Herrle’s is a family owned and operated farm, located just west of Waterloo, Ontario. In 1858 Peter Herrle purchased the land at 1243 Erb’s Road that the Herrle family has farmed for over 150 years. We are delighted that our children, the sixth generation of Herrles, can call our fields of sweet corn, strawberries, peas, beans and pumpkins their backyard playground! Each and every year, our farm market is brimming with fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, homemade jams and preserves, local honey and maple syrup, breads and baking, fruit juices, snack foods and decorative wooden crafts.

When did you start using BlackBerry devices on the farm?

Personally, I have been the “AgNerd” of the family.  My first BlackBerry device was the 6210.  Back then, being able to see the weather in the field was a luxury.  Being able to respond to an email on a tractor was almost unheard of.  I have remained loyal to BlackBerry since the beginning, and owned probably 15 devices between then and now.  As far as the rest of the family, I got them hooked about three years ago.  We amalgamated our wireless plan with Rogers and purchased  seven devices. This has given us outstanding connectivity between family members throughout our properties, our business, our suppliers, our agronomists, our Twitter followers and our staff.

How does technology help you connect with your customers? 

Technology and farming go hand in hand, more than the general public understands, from the GPS units in our tractors to our BlackBerry smartphones.  Farming is a mobile industry, we need information at our fingertips, and constant connection between family members, staff and suppliers. BlackBerry, along with Rogers Small Business Solutions, has enabled our farming operation to #KeepMoving. 

How has BlackBerry 10 changed things on the farm?

Currently, I am the only one in the family with a BlackBerry 10 device.  There are other members who were patiently waiting for the BlackBerry Q10 (available today) as a physical keyboard is an important feature for a few members of our family.  I have been using the BlackBerry Z10 for three months now, and undeniably, this is the best typing experience I have had. (I’m typing this interview on my Z10 now).

Beyond coordinating activities using calendar invites and BBM, I also take pictures, track weather patterns, and engage with the community using Twitter from my BlackBerry on a regular basis (yes, even from my tractor – but not while driving it, of course!). I have leveraged social media in particular as a method to connect urban consumers to the farm, gathering feedback on new product ideas and reaching out to them in a variety of ways.  We’re providing a constant opportunity for our customers to connect with the family, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and almost 365 days a year, for a business that is only open from June to October 31st.

Do you think you could you grow beautifully red and plump strawberries without your smartphone?

Hahahaha! Of course!  We just wouldn’t be able to share amazing quality “just in time” images and videos with our customers, enticing them to come out to the farm that day and experience that “Freshness Makes the Difference.”

Thank you Trevor. You can follow Trevor and the Herrle family on Twitter , Facebook and Youtube.

The BlackBerry Q10 smartphone is now available at Rogers retail locations across Canada, starting at $199.99 with select three year plans.

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5 questions: How A1 Cement went paperless

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A1 CementRunning a small business can involve mountains of paperwork. Forms to sign. Invoices to file. Databases to update.

For Calgary’s A1 Cement Contractors, quality control forms were creating piles of paper data that needed to be converted to digital. Workers brought stacks of the forms into the field, where they needed to be filled out, signed, then returned to the office. Completed forms then got filed, scanned or transcribed and entered into the company’s computer system.

Rogers helped the team go paperless by introducing them to ProntoForms, a mobile form application that integrates smartphones and tablets with the company computer systems.

We checked in with Brent Ackerman, A1 Cement’s IT Manager, for five questions about how technology is improving their business.

What technology helps keep your business running smoothly?

“We currently deploy ProntoForms on smartphones and tablets in the field. We pre-fill some of the forms and send them directly to our workers’ mobile devices, saving them time at the site,” explains Ackerman. “Field workers confirm the details, sign their names and click submit, sending the forms to our FTP server and into our database.”

Using the Rogers High Speed Wireless network, A1 Cement workers now collect data on site, such as text, signatures, photos and barcodes and can send forms electronically to team members. All the required information is available at the job site, and clients can receive their data instantly. The company also now uses ProntoForms for its truck maintenance and hazard assessment forms.

“The guys are enjoying ProntoForms,” says Ackerman. “It’s a lot less paperwork for them.”

If you had to use just one social network for your business, which one would it be? Why?

“We do not currently utilize social networks,” says Ackerman. However, A1 Cement does maintain a website, complete with photo galleries of completed work and a YouTube video showcasing their 50 years of service in Calgary.

How do you keep on top of technology and industry trends?

“We rely on IT websites and blogs,” says Ackerman. The company also consulted with Rogers to learn about connecting their team with mobile devices and using ProntoForms. For more information on ProntoForms, or to read case studies on how it works in other industries, visit prontoforms.com/Rogers.

What one piece of advice would you like to share with other small businesses?

“Get user input from everyone at your company, if people don’t want something, they will not use it,” says Ackerman.

What business accomplishment are you most proud of?

“Becoming less reliant on paper and manual data entry,” says Ackerman. With the use of ProntoForms, there’s “no more worrying about having the right forms in the field. Now, all of the information is always accessible for our workers on the job site.”

Mobile data entry has “filled a gap in the flow of information between our office and field staff.”

Would you like to see your small business featured on RedBoard Biz? Send us a DM on Twitter @RogersBiz or leave a comment sharing how technology makes life easier for your business.

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Rogers boosts internet speeds for business customers

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LaptopYour Internet connection is crucial to your business.  Whether you’re video-conferencing, connecting with customers and suppliers or accessing databases in the cloud, you require a reliable, fast Internet connection. And as more and more services become available from the cloud, your Internet connection just keeps becoming even more important.

Internet use is growing rapidly worldwide. Cisco estimates that by the end of 2016, global Internet consumption from business users will total 13.1 exabytes* per month.  That’s a compounded annual growth rate of 22 per cent between 2011 and 2016.

To support Canadian small business, starting today we have increased the download and upload speeds of our most popular Internet tiers: Business Internet Basic, Standard and Pro – for customers in our cable footprint. Rogers Business Internet customers will not see any changes on their monthly bills as a result of the boosted speeds. However, some customers may not have the latest modem that is required to take advantage of the new speeds. You can check by referencing your invoice; if you see ‘Business Gateway Rental.’ you have the right modem.  If you do not have this, you can call 1-866-727-2124 to speak to a business specialist about upgrading your hardware.

Here’s a summary of how your Internet speeds are changing:

New speeds (download/upload) Old speeds(download/upload)
Business Internet Basic Up to 7 Mbps / 1 Mbps Up to 4 Mbps / 1 Mbps
Business Internet Standard Up to 30 Mbps / 5 Mbps Up to 10 Mbps / 2 Mbps
Business Internet Pro Up to 60 Mbps / 10 Mbps Up to 30 Mbps / 5 Mbps

Just how fast are the new speeds? With 30 Mbps, you can download a 500 MB file in two minutes.

We’re interested in learning more about your business’ internet usage.  Let us know in the comments how these speeds will affect you and your team.

* What’s an exabyte?  It is a massive amount of data:  1 exabyte comprises 1000 petabytes, while a single petabyte is 1000 terabytes and a single terabyte is 1000 gigabytes.

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Rogers LTE brings fastest BlackBerry Q10 experience to Canadians

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BlackBerry Q10 SmartphoneExciting news BlackBerry® fans!  Rogers will be the first Canadian carrier to bring its customers the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone with support for the blazing fast 2600 MHz LTE spectrum band when the new device launches this spring, available in both black and white.

The BlackBerry Q10 smartphone includes the physical QWERTY keyboard and a touch screen combined with the power of the BlackBerry 10 platform – perfect for people who like to use their device on-the-go. You can check out the look and feel of the device (in black) in this video from Engadget.

What makes this smartphone so fast? 

The BlackBerry Q10 smartphone is built to run on the 2600 MHz LTE spectrum band with Rogers LTE, Canada’s fastest wireless internet. Rogers has more 2600 MHz spectrum band deployed than any other carrier in Canada. With this technology, you’ll be able to do more with your device, such as download and upload large files quickly and live stream video content while on our Rogers 2600 MHz LTE spectrum.

Rogers announced last month it will expand its 2600 MHz LTE spectrum to 44 new markets this spring.

What are your favourite features for small business?

We are loving the new BlackBerry 10 operating system. A few great things on the Q10 device include:

  • Battery Life – the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone has the largest battery of any BlackBerry smartphone so you can work and talk all day on a single charge.
  • Keyboard – the Q10 device features a straight keyboard design and is wider than other BlackBerry smartphones.
  • Better shortcuts with Type and Go – a great time-saving feature that allows you to send messages quickly on-the-go.

Does the smartphone come in other colours?

Yes, Rogers customers will be the first to get the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone in white.

How do I get one?

The BlackBerry Q10 smartphone will be arriving at Rogers retail locations across Canada in the coming weeks starting at $199.99 with select three year plans. Current Rogers small business customers can reserve this device now on the Rogers Reservation System here and pre-orders for new customers are now available at rogers.com. 

Update, April 23, 2 p.m.: We’re happy to announce the BlackBerry Q10 will be available in-store at Rogers retail locations on May 1.

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Most owners believe mobile technology improves business

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Hand typing on a digital tablet with mobile phoneThis post, written by Melissa Campeau, originally appeared in Profitguide.com.

Mobile technology is changing the way we do business, and most Canadian business owners report being pretty happy about that. A new survey by Sage North America discovered 83% of owners believe mobile technology has had a positive effect on their business and only 1% felt the technology has had a negative impact. More than three-quarters (78%) say their employees are using mobile technology to access information related to work.

The study also reports business owners believe the use of devices for remote access has increased significantly over the past year. Laptop use is perceived to be up by 48%, tablet use by 64% and smartphone use by 78%.

“Mobile devices have become so pervasive that many of us feel like these devices are an extension of ourselves,” says Nancy Harris, senior vice president and general manager of Sage 50 Accounting, Canadian Edition. “So it makes sense that the majority of business owners Sage surveyed in Canada are incorporating mobile devices to increase productivity.”

About 40% of the businesses using mobile devices outside the office have one to two employees using tablets or smartphones. More than half (55%) have one to two employees using laptops and 40% have one to two employees using desktops.

The survey also found that, of the mobile devices used by employees to gain remote access, 71% are supplied by the company and 28% by the employee. For 18% of mobile technology used for work, employees supply the smartphones and tablets, and business owners pay for the service.

“By capitalizing on the growing trend of work being conducted on smartphones and tablets, businesses can not only increase productivity, but also give their employees the flexibility of being able to conduct work whenever and wherever they are,” says Harris. “This ability to work remotely not only helps add to the bottom line, but may also be seen as a benefit to prospective employees.”

The report notes business decision-makers may be wise to establish a bring your own device (BYOD) policy in order to protect their company’s proprietary data while still allowing workers to use their personal devices remotely. Nearly half (45%) of companies polled have established a BYOD policy in the office, but more than a third (35%) have not considered this option. Another 9% have considered the idea but decided against it.

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Which mobile internet device suits you and your business best?

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The Mobile Hotspot and Rocket™ Hub from Rogers  can fill your company’s mobile-connectivity needs.  So which one is right for you? The staff of Connected for Business helps you weigh your options.

When it comes to doing business remotely or taking your work on the road, the Mobile Hotspot and Rocket Hub have you covered. Whether you’re setting up a mobile kiosk for staff at a trade show, staying connected with your colleagues while you’re on vacation, or just looking for a way to create secure Internet connectivity outside the office, these mobile devices deliver better flexibility, dependability, security and performance than free, public Wi-Fi. Connected to the Rogers LTE network, you can enjoy Internet speeds* comparable to your office or home connection wherever your work takes you, and you can save on install and usage charges for temporary connectivity.

While they share many features – both the Mobile Hotspot and Rocket Hub offer customizable password protection, both can be used on the Rogers wireless network across Canada, and both are portable devices that offer easy, technician-free set up – each is tailor-made with specific business needs and functions in mind. Read on for a look at how they stack up.

*Refers to maximum theoretical speeds. Rogers LTE network offers typical download speeds of 12 to 25 Mbps, or up to 40 Mbps for select devices. Outside of Rogers LTE coverage areas, LTE devices will seamlessly fall back to 4G HSPA+ or EDGE. Actual speeds may vary based on plan selected, device, network access type and spectrum, topography and environmental conditions, network congestion and other factors.

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Do Tablets with Wireless Data Make Sense for your Business?

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Alexandra Samuel inadvertently set off a social media firestorm recently with her Harvard Business Review blog post “Dear colleague, Put the Notebook Down”. Samuel, Vice-president of Social Media at Vision Critical – the company responsible for our Rogers Innovation Reports – and author of “Work Smarter with Evernote” made the argument that employees would make more efficient use of their time if they took meeting notes in digital format. Proponents of the pen and paper were outraged, while the more technologically-minded supported her argument.

According to a recent Rogers White Paper, “Do Tablets with Wireless Data Make Sense for your Business?” for more than half of all companies it’s no longer a question of whether to adopt tablet computers but how and where to deploy them to achieve the greatest effect. Companies must consider the solution, security and total cost of ownership before making a purchase decision.

The White Paper addresses several important questions procurement departments must ask before making this important investment:

  • Wi-Fi only? Or Wireless data?
  • Does your connectivity match your solution?
  • Is Wi-Fi compromising your security?
  • What’s the true cost of Wi-Fi connectivity?
  • Doing the math on tablets and Wi-Fi.

Check out our White Paper on Slideshare for answers to these questions, come by a Rogers Business Centre near you for access to our specialists, or speak to a Rogers Live Agent  representative for small business. You can also visit rogers.com/business for more information about tablets and wireless data plans.

How do you use tablets in your business?

 

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RedBoard Biz: year in review

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Well, that’s a wrap – almost. 2012 is coming to an end, so naturally, we’re reflecting on the year and planning for what’s next. We’ve had a great year covering the latest technology and trends so to end the year, here – in no particular order – is a recap our top 5 posts of 2012.

  1. Rogers One Number for Business: Back in February, we announced Rogers One Number™, a service that lets you talk, text and send picture messages, plus video chat with other Rogers One Number users, all from your computer using your existing phone number. We knew this was a service that small businesses would love, so in October, we wrote this post announcing that this great service was available for small business customers as well.
  2. Launch of OutRank™: In January, we launched OutRank, a new online marketing solution that helps small businesses grow their online presence and customer base by marketing effectively online and on mobile devices. Later in the year, we did a Q&A with Carrie Shaw, head of marketing at OutRank to ask her about her tips for successful online marketing.
  3. Tablet contest: How could we forget our tablet contest we held back in May? We received so many amazing entries about how your business is using tablets in new and innovative ways, it was hard to narrow it down to a top 3. Ultimately, Gamal Mustpha of SMT Research was named our grand prize winner and was featured in Connected for Business™ magazine, and our recent Q&A.
  4. Launch of mobile payments: In November, we rolled out mobile contactless payments in Canada by making the first SIM-based mobile interaction on an NFC-enabled smartphone. Pan American Games and Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield was on hand on launch day to make the first payment at a Tim Horton’s where he purchased a coffee using his BlackBerry® smartphone. Definitely one of the highlights of the year. If you’re looking for some additional information on mobile payments, check out this 101 we did earlier this year.
  5. Windows 8: In November, we announced that Rogers joined forces with Microsoft as the preferred wireless partner for Windows 8. Windows 8 was a particularly exciting launch for us because the platform has some unique functions that we know your small business will love. If one of your new year’s resolutions is to be more organized, perhaps you should consider picking up a Windows 8 device before 2013 begins.

On behalf of the team at RedBoard Biz, thank you for being a part of our community. Wishing you an amazing 2013.

Miranda is a regular contributor to RedBoard Biz

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Contest: Celebrating our readers and Canadian small businesses

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We love small businessesWe have a lot to celebrate here at RedBoard Biz. Not only did we recently celebrate our two year anniversary, but it’s now small business month, a time where we recognize the contribution of small businesses to the Canadian economy.

For the past two years, we’ve been writing about a wide range of topics – from apps and interviews, to the latest products and services and we’re proud of the community of like-minded business professionals we’ve built here on RedBoard Biz.

To celebrate and acknowledge our readers, we are hosting a contest for our subscribers – both current and new. The prize: a Samsung Galaxy S III.

To enter, all you have to do is subscribe to receive our blog via email. If you’re already a subscriber, great. Consider yourself entered for a chance to win. If you’re not, here’s how you subscribe:

  • Click on the RSS symbol in the top right corner of our blog. Or go here.
  • Click Get RedBoard Biz delivered by email
  • Enter your email address
  • Click Complete Subscription Request
  • You’ll receive an email to confirm your request. Just click the link provided in the email to complete the process.

We’ll be doing a random draw of all eligible email subscribers on November 7 and will be announcing the winner here, and our Twitter account, @RogersBiz.

On behalf of everyone at RedBoard Biz, thank you for reading our blog. If you have any suggestions for blog posts, please leave your idea in the comments section below.

UPDATE (November 7, 2012, 12:01 p.m): The subscriber contest is now over. Thank to everyone who participated and a BIG welcome to all our new subscribers! We’ll be drawing the winner later today and announcing the winner both here on this blog post and on our Twitter account, @RogersBiz in the coming days. Stay tuned!

UPDATE (November 12, 2012, 10:22 a.m):  Congratulations to Karen, the winner of the Samsung Galaxy S III in our RedBoard Biz subscriber contest. Thanks for participating and thank  you to all our new subscribers. We hope you’ll enjoying receiving our updates.

Miranda is a regular contributor to RedBoard Biz

Contest closes on November 7, 2012 at 12 noon. Open to residents of Canada who are 18 years or older, excluding residents of Quebec. To enter, subscribe to receive RedBoard Biz by email.  Prize: one (1) Samsung Galaxy S III valued at $599.99 to be won. One entry/person. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries. Mathematical skill-testing question to be correctly answered to win. No Purchase Necessary. Full rules here. 

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RedBoard Biz poll: Tell us about yourself in 60 seconds

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Here at RedBoard Biz, we spend time each week brainstorming and developing posts for this blog. Whether we’re telling you about the latest devices, new services, or some great tips for small businesses, our goal is always to provide our readers with some interesting tidbit of timely knowledge.

But we want to make this blog better and provide our readers with more actionable information. In order to do that, we need to get to know you a little better.

Please take 60 seconds to tell us about yourself, your business and what you’d like to see on RedBoard Biz.

Tell us about the size of your business:

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What do you do there?

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Which industry or sector?

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Age:

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Region:

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I primarily use:

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Do you use a tablet for work?

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What would you like to see on RedBoard Biz? (Select all that apply)

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Haley is a regular contributor to RedBoard Biz 

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