The remaining business owners took the hot seat this week and gave us an insight into their worlds.
First we were treated to a behind the scenes tour of some websites that have been setup using CMS, a really good way for small business owners to keep their websites up to date and fresh without having to get web designers to do this every time. In addition Google Analytics was explained a little, again as a powerful tool for small business owners to be able to focus their marketing and advertising spend, to get the most from dollars spent and see where their real customers are coming from.
We were then given a colourful training session into the world of Vibrant Hair Colour that was technical, enlightening and interesting – proving again the online software is a good medium for training especially for people located in spread out, remote or even global locations, and even for a supplier / customer relationship. After this we were given a very informative presentation on some of the other solutions for online communication, showing that there is a software or tool for every budget. Whether you are in small business with a small budget or a large corporate looking for sophisticated communications the online world of business communication is definitely starting to emerge and be accepted a great deal faster than even a couple of years ago.
Some of the main reasons for this are probably the need to cut costs as expenses in business increase rapidly, petrol costs, flights, freight etc. The reduction in cost and rapid improvement in internet connection speed, allowing for more seamless conversations and transfer of information and perhaps the saving in that other very valuable asset time… (Mike)
Showing posts with label Megameeting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Megameeting. Show all posts
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Session 6 - More presentations!
This week the remaining four business owners presented from their own premises using the Megameeting online meetings rooms and again it was a great session. While it took longer to start, as the session had been set up in a smaller room and we all had to move to the larger room (in terms of "seats") the four presentations were excellent and used all the features of the online meeting room. We were shown a content management system, and how to use google analytics- which is now active on this blog! Our professional hair stylist provided a short training session on vibrant hair colours and our last presenter discussed other video conferencing systems that she had investigated for her business needs.
One of the key elements that seems to work for the meeting environment is to keep presentations fairly short, and to return to the face to face meeting room for comments and questions. And it helps to have a Moderator, who monitors the questions as they come in on the text window. Its hard to present and watch the questions. And the audio - which can be used - sometimes comes across too loud or too soft. It works, but maybe some sound checks at the beginning would be useful. All up, another really great session, and I for one found it a fantastic way to learn! (Mary)
One of the key elements that seems to work for the meeting environment is to keep presentations fairly short, and to return to the face to face meeting room for comments and questions. And it helps to have a Moderator, who monitors the questions as they come in on the text window. Its hard to present and watch the questions. And the audio - which can be used - sometimes comes across too loud or too soft. It works, but maybe some sound checks at the beginning would be useful. All up, another really great session, and I for one found it a fantastic way to learn! (Mary)
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Online Meeting Starts – The Team View
As the time drew closer the faces started appearing in the MegaMeeting room, after an initial 5 minutes of sorting out all our own technical issues of microphones and webcams we were all present seeing each other and able to be seen and heard!
Hosting the session was Terie from MegaMetting in LA and his local time was about 2.30am – and we thought Small Business Owners worked long hours. This first session was challenging and eye opening for all the Online Meetings participants with an introduction to the software features and functionality of how you can run a meeting online from various locations around the world.
The Team’s feedback was positive and encouraging and initial fears of technical incompetence were quickly laid to rest. A feeling of involvement and interaction was shared for the meeting room with most being impressed with the ability of how simple it appeared to share information with everyone.
On talking to all and reading through the comments on Google Groups, in the day or two following, several of the team were already thinking of concepts on how using such technology and how these could benefit theirs businesses. We are all away now to play with the software and meet up again in smaller groups, whilst looking forward to the next online meeting in the comfort of our offices or homes… (Mike)
Hosting the session was Terie from MegaMetting in LA and his local time was about 2.30am – and we thought Small Business Owners worked long hours. This first session was challenging and eye opening for all the Online Meetings participants with an introduction to the software features and functionality of how you can run a meeting online from various locations around the world.
The Team’s feedback was positive and encouraging and initial fears of technical incompetence were quickly laid to rest. A feeling of involvement and interaction was shared for the meeting room with most being impressed with the ability of how simple it appeared to share information with everyone.
On talking to all and reading through the comments on Google Groups, in the day or two following, several of the team were already thinking of concepts on how using such technology and how these could benefit theirs businesses. We are all away now to play with the software and meet up again in smaller groups, whilst looking forward to the next online meeting in the comfort of our offices or homes… (Mike)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Online Meeting - Technical viewpoint
With just one formal online session of MegaMeeting under our group's belt, and some informal training around the edges, most of our members are starting to get the hang of it - and overcome some of their initial technical problems.
Before our first formal session, everyone was asked to come online and use MegaMeeting's online meeting product - even on their own - just to make sure they could connect, and communicate properly with those helping them test the environment. One of the advantages of MegaMeeting is that there is typically no special setup or configuration required; nearly all computers have a web browser with Adobe Flash support - the same requirements you need to watch YouTube videos - so there is no cost in downloading and setting up applications to get you started. While it's not my specific topic area, this is also a great feature if you'd like to invite clients or one-off viewers into your conference: there is really not much work to do on their end - they just click a link, and - off they go!
Of course, it doesn't always work as easily as I've described, and we have had some teething issues. The biggest issue we've experienced is getting used to the MegaMeeting interface, as well as some simple issues (or unexpected features!) to do with sound. It took some users a few minutes to get their sending volume quite right; they were initially too soft, and later too loud, an effect visible as everyone within the conversation could actually be seen removing their headphones due to some of the overwhelming noise. A headset is certainly a must, too: a single user with external speakers and a microphone can very easily cause a feedback loop, something not fun inside a meeting of twelve.
Additionally, some users reported that their experience was quite sluggish if they had a few applications, or browser tabs, still open. If you have a slow computer, it might be a good idea to close any non-essential programs before you join into MegaMeeting. Additionally, if you're connecting from an environment where other users might be downloading large files - make sure you ask them to stop before coming in!
Overall, after these small issues, most users in our group were able to get started, participate and provide some feedback within the meeting itself. Terie from MegaMeeting was also available in our first formal session, which was a great help in getting over some of the unfamiliarity people experienced with the system (Sam)
Before our first formal session, everyone was asked to come online and use MegaMeeting's online meeting product - even on their own - just to make sure they could connect, and communicate properly with those helping them test the environment. One of the advantages of MegaMeeting is that there is typically no special setup or configuration required; nearly all computers have a web browser with Adobe Flash support - the same requirements you need to watch YouTube videos - so there is no cost in downloading and setting up applications to get you started. While it's not my specific topic area, this is also a great feature if you'd like to invite clients or one-off viewers into your conference: there is really not much work to do on their end - they just click a link, and - off they go!
Of course, it doesn't always work as easily as I've described, and we have had some teething issues. The biggest issue we've experienced is getting used to the MegaMeeting interface, as well as some simple issues (or unexpected features!) to do with sound. It took some users a few minutes to get their sending volume quite right; they were initially too soft, and later too loud, an effect visible as everyone within the conversation could actually be seen removing their headphones due to some of the overwhelming noise. A headset is certainly a must, too: a single user with external speakers and a microphone can very easily cause a feedback loop, something not fun inside a meeting of twelve.
Additionally, some users reported that their experience was quite sluggish if they had a few applications, or browser tabs, still open. If you have a slow computer, it might be a good idea to close any non-essential programs before you join into MegaMeeting. Additionally, if you're connecting from an environment where other users might be downloading large files - make sure you ask them to stop before coming in!
Overall, after these small issues, most users in our group were able to get started, participate and provide some feedback within the meeting itself. Terie from MegaMeeting was also available in our first formal session, which was a great help in getting over some of the unfamiliarity people experienced with the system (Sam)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Our first group meeting online!
Our first online training session was run by our cool trainer from MegaMeeting (the product we have chosen to use) - and we could see and hear all 11 of us, plus Terie our trainer, in the one online meeting room. Most of the group were at their own premises, but one was outbound using a wireless system at a motel in NSW, and another initially joined the meeting using her laptop and connection while a passenger in a moving car. So that was quite something, as we could see and hear her, and also the traffic flow behind her. She soon arrived and continued from a less distracting venue, so we were able to concentrate on the session.
Our session first covered the basics of being a GUEST in the online room, and then we all were able to create our own meetings rooms as HOST so that in future, we can invite guests, and each have our own online meetings. The presentation used the feature "Show My Desktop" and how to set up an online poll. And lots of other stuff as well. It feels good to be able to see everyone in the meeting room, to use the voice over IP, and the chat window. Overall, the reactions were positive - one connection was not great as it was through a wireless network, but it still worked. I think there is now some appreciation that while its easy to be a guest in an online meeting, to really use this tool well as a host, it will take some practice. And that's what we plan to do! (Mary)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Team meets!
Our first meeting was in real space - which was good to get to know everyone. The session included some great finger food, and an overview of the main online tools that we plan to use. These include Megameeting, ( a web based video conference system) for online meetings, Blogger for the project outline, and Google groups for the main team communications.
Small business depends on connection - and blogging is a really quick way to connect to clients. It can be your main web presence or a more informal site linked to your man website. Blogger is a free and easy to use blogging tool - there are others, but this is an easy one to start with. Several of the business owners are planning to set up their own blogs, so I found this really simple video on You Tube and posted this link to our Online Meetings Google Group (Mary)
Small business depends on connection - and blogging is a really quick way to connect to clients. It can be your main web presence or a more informal site linked to your man website. Blogger is a free and easy to use blogging tool - there are others, but this is an easy one to start with. Several of the business owners are planning to set up their own blogs, so I found this really simple video on You Tube and posted this link to our Online Meetings Google Group (Mary)
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