Google Has Worldwide Stronghold in Search Arena

According to AdAge.com: Microsoft and Yahoo's newly forged search deal is about breaking Google's dominance, which is pretty overwhelming in the U.S. by any measure: queries, clicks or ad revenue. But as hard as it will be to dislodge Google in the U.S., it will be even harder overseas.

Google has a 60% share of search queries in the U.S., but that number is 67% worldwide, according to ComScore. In many top and growing internet countries, including Germany, Canada, Brazil, Turkey and Italy, Google has more than 80% of the search market. Conversely, Microsoft has made few inroads abroad, and has 3% or less share in the U.K., Germany and Korea. Yahoo has one pocket of overseas influence: Japan, where its search share is 43%, close to Google's.

Google's dominance in Europe will likely be a strong part of its case when Microsoft and Yahoo seek the blessing of competition officials in Brussels for the deal. How are the search wars playing out abroad? Very well for Google, as the above international data from ComScore show. One caveat: The data do not include China, where Baidu is dominant and Google is frequently blocked by government censors.

Google Remains the Most Searched Website On The Internet For Now

Google is still the No.1 website in the world when it comes to website traffic for the month of June according to Compete.com. Yet, one has to wonder how long Google can maintain the No.1 spot in light of the recent marriage of Microsoft and Yahoo.

Google which posted nearly 146 million unique visits, and ranked No. 1 in June in the Compete 250, the company’s monthly ranking of the top 250 websites. Yahoo! was second with 142 million visits and social network, Facebook came in third with 122 million unique visits.
Compete.com's survey underscores the fact that search, entertainment and social networking continue to be the biggest traffic drivers on the Internet.

Microsoft’s Bing.com, the web’s newest search engine, saw its traffic skyrocket in June with nearly 50 million visits. It was only the first full month of activity for Bing, as it made good use of an eye-popping, $100 million advertising campaign.

The Google-Yahoo-Bing competition should be fun to watch, and the competition is heating up just as the search engine business is softening a bit. According to Compete, the overall search market declined by 1.7%, and Google lost 0.9% of its query volume. Meanwhile, Bing (and its predecessor, Live.com) served up 19 million more queries than it did in May.

Another Microsoft product, MSN, was fourth at 114 million. Then there was a big drop off to YouTube at No. 5 (78 million), Ebay sixth (73 million), Amazon.com seventh (65 million), Wikipedia eighth (62 million), MySpace ninth (60 million) and Microsoft.com No. 10 (55 million).

Bing’s performance wasn’t the only interesting story. AT&T and Apple both saw surges in traffic after the iPhone 3G S was officially unveiled on June 6th. Consumers flocked to the sites for the latest information on one of the summer’s most eagerly awaited smartphone releases. AT&T’s site traffic grew 8.2 percent and Apple saw a 19.1 percent increase over May traffic numbers. Both sites made Compete’s top 50.

Pew Internet Report: No Digital Divide On Mobile Web?

African-Americans and Hispanics are leading the way on the mobile web according to a new survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. According to the Pew Report:

• 56% of adult Americans have accessed the internet by wireless means, such as using a laptop, mobile device, game console, or MP3 player.



• The most prevalent way people get online using a wireless network is with a laptop computer; 39% of adults have done this.



• One-third of Americans (32%) have used a cell phone or Smartphone to access the internet for emailing, instant-messaging, or information-seeking. This level of mobile internet is up by one-third since December 2007, when 24% of Americans had ever used the internet on a mobile device. On the typical day, nearly one-fifth (19%) of Americans use the internet on a mobile device, up substantially from the 11% level recorded in December 2007. That’s a growth of 73% in the 16 month interval between surveys.



• African Americans are the most active users of the mobile internet – and their use of it is also growing the fastest. This means the digital divide between African Americans and white Americans diminishes when mobile use is taken into account.



• 48% of Africans Americans have at one time used their mobile device to access the internet for information, emailing, or instant-messaging, half again the national average of 32%.
  29% of African Americans use the internet on their handheld on an average day, also about half again the national average of 19%.



• Compared with 2007, when 12% of African Americans used the internet on their mobile on the average day, use of the mobile internet is up by 141%.



• The high level of activity among African Americans on mobile devices helps offset lower levels of access tools that have been traditional onramps to the internet, namely desktop computers, laptops, and home broadband connections.



• By a 59% to 45% margin, white Americans are more likely to go online using a computer on a typical day than African Americans.



• When mobile devices are included in the mix, the gap is cut in half; 61% of whites go online on the average day when mobile access is included while 54% of African Americans do.



• Looking across a range of digital activities – some done online typically using a computer and others being non-voice data activities on a mobile device – African American and white Americans, on average, do the same number of activities.

Tech Crunch: Ning losing U.S. Marketshare, Gets $15 Million From LightSpeed Venture Partners

Tech Crunch is reporting that do-it-yourself social network Ning despite losing market share in the U.S. social media space added another $15 million to its social media war chest from LightSpeed Venture Partners. To date, Ning has raised $119 million in social media capital. Its other investors include Allen & Co., Legg Mason, chairman and co-founder Marc Andreessen, and Reid Hoffman. Ning allows anyone to create their own social network customized to their particular interest or social group. Earlier this year, Ning passed the one million social network mark (it is now up to 1.3 million). In the U.S., unique visitors actually declined 10 percent from May, 2009 to June, 2009, according to comScore. Ning had 5.1 million visitors in the U.S. in June (its worldwide audience is about three times as large). The company attributes the decline to “some downtime in June as we expand and optimize our infrastructure to support the growth that we are expecting in the next 12 months.” Ning says it is adding 4,000 new Ning Networks every day and one million registered users every 15 days.

Amazon's Big Score: Inks Deal To Acquire Zappos.com For $850 Million

E-commerce giant Amazon.com is set to acquire e-retailer Zappos.com in a deal worth $850 million. Under the agreement, Amazon will obtain all outstanding shares, options and warrants of the Zappos in exchange for approximately 10 million shares of Amazon common stock along with $40 mil in cash and restricted stocks for Zappos employees. In a statement, Zappos CEO Tony Hseih said the deal went through because "there is a huge opportunity to utilize each [company's] strengths and move even faster towards our vision of delivering happiness to customers, employees and vendors."

MediaJobsDaily.com: The Bureau of Labor and Statistics Says There Are 2.6 Million Jobs in America!?

According to Rachel Kaufman of MediaJobsDaily.com there are a plethora of jobs available, but unfortunately they're not the jobs that people want (or are qualified for). The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Turnover Survey for May 2009 identifies 2.6 million job openings. Most of the openings were in retail, education, and health, with only 17,000 openings in "arts, entertainment, and recreation." There were 520,000 openings in "professional and business services," which sounds encouraging until you remember exactly how many jobs fit under that category (managers/administrators, accountants, lawyers, scientists, IT professionals, etc.)

Michael Jackson Humanitarian

Michael Jackson Humanitarian
Video sent by tvguide

So much has been said about Michael Jackson; however, what I haven't seen a lot of coverage on was Michael Jackson's philanthropy and charity work. Well, here's a look at another side of Michael. Hollywood 411 looks at Michael Jackson the philanthropist. He supported 39 charities and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most charitable star, supporting causes such as AIDS, world hunger and children's issues.

On Michael Jackson: Music Icon, Legend, and Pioneer . . . R.I.P

Much has been said in the aftermath of music and entertainment icon, Michael Jackson's death. Indeed, there will never ever be another King of Pop. I must admit that Michael Jackson appeared to be a bit weirded out to me in recent years with all the rumors and allegations, etc. Nevertheless, I took the time a few days ago to revisit some of Michael's body of work, and it didn't take long to refresh my recollection of why the man is not only beloved on a global scale, but also why Michael Jackson is considered a musical genius by millions. Notwithstanding all that has been mediated about Michael Jackson via the media for public consumption, filtration and discussion--when all is said and done, the truth will resonate even with his detractors that Michael Jackson throughout most of his career has been nothing short of a national treasure.

What will I remember most about Michael Jackson? Let me see . . . how do I count the ways? I will always remember that a good friend of mine was an absolute Michael Jackson fanatic while we were in high school, and loved him immensely after the Thriller album dropped. This wouldn't be significant, but for the fact that I was feeling this certain young lady at the time. Yes, Michael was blocking from afar . . . LOL! I will also remember how I always felt that I was too cool to wear a Thriller jacket or one white glove, and too cool to even want one for that matter . . . but secretly fell in love with the many songs on the Off The Wall album (one of my favorite album's of all time) as an adult. Ok, I said it--LOL!

I will also remember the enjoyment and pleasure that I received when watching the Jackson 5ive cartoon when I was a kid. Even then, Michael was creating an incredible and iconic brand that will forever reign a classic for all those black children growing up in the 70's. Yes, Michael Jackson was not only a musical legend, but also a music and television pioneer. For those who weren't blessed to have spent their childhood growing up in the 70's, or are too young to remember, Michael Jackson and his brother's had their own cartoon. I can recall only one other cartoon with a predominantly black cast of stars during my childhood, and that was Fat Albert which was the creation of another legend and televison pioneer in his own right, Mr. Bill Cosby.

Cosby became the first black man or "Afro-American" to star in a television series when he co-starred with Robert Culp in I Spy in 1965. Ok, I know you are probably wondering why I am talking about Cosby when this post is about Michael Jackson . . . but bear with me, there is a rhyme and a reason to my brand of madness. You see, Bill Cosby, was a grown, accomplished, and intelligent man when he hit the scene in the role that would help transform him into the Jello Pudding Man . . . LOL. (Hmm, I am getting a little hungry as I type this.) While on the other hand, Michael Jackson was a child, a little boy, an unsophisticated pre-adolescent when fame and fortune hit, and while Joe Jackson might receive a lot of credit for keeping the Jackson train on the track--I marvel at the charisma, poise, discipline, resilience, stamina, the list goes on and on that it took for the Michael, Jermaine, Tito, Jackie, Randy and Marlon to display in order to win over the hearts of the multitudes of fans. The fact that Michael Jackson was able to embrace and negotiate being in the public eye for so long as a child was incredible. While most child stars of the 70's eventually imploded and/or fell by the wayside--Michael Jackson kept it together long enough to effectively crown and brand himself the King of Pop--from Pepsi to the musical genre (no pun intended.)

In closing, much has been said about the King of Pop over the past week: about his music, life, family and many other things; however, what prompted me to do what I do, and pimp the keyboard in honor of Michael Jackson today was an article that I peeped online in the Harvard Business Journal. In his article, "How Michael Jackson Became A Brand Icon," Professor John Quelch of the Harvard Business School writes that Michael Jackson did 10 key things that caused his meteoric rise to superstardom. The article is a good and interesting read. Undoubtedly, Michael Jackson will always be to music what Muhammad Ali will always be to boxing . . . "the greatest of all tiiimmmeee!!!

He's Barack Obama - JibJab.com

He's Barack Obama - JibJab.com
Video sent by JibJab

Its a bird! Its a plane! No, he's Barack Obama and hes come to save the day! JibJab puts the rock in Barack with a new, over-the-top satire that debuted in front of the President himself at the Radio & Television Correspondents Dinner.

I actually peeped this about a week or so ago, and I found it to be absolutely hilarious. I often think about the myriad things that President Obama is trying to accomplish almost simultaneously it seems, and I get concerned that he is taking on too much. I am glad that the guys at JibJab.com found a way to make light of the President's very stressful daily adventures, and I wanted my readers to enjoy this video too!

Entrepreneur Magazine Lists Five Things That Scare Entrepreneurs The Most

In a recent survey, the good folks over at Entrepreneur Magazine polled small business owners to identify the biggest fears of small biz owners and those who launch start-ups. Not surprisingly, the No. 1 fear on the list is the fear of failure. According to the Entrepreneur's study these are the top five things that scare Entrepreneurs the most:

1. Failure


2. Economic Uncertainty


3. Being Your Own Boss


4. The Business Consuming Your Life


5. Keeping the Business Afloat

You can check out Entrepreneur's in-depth report here.

Anchored

Anchored
Video sent by lindseyolivares

I came across this very inspirational video recently and I had to share with you. You never know when someone's spirit needs a lift! Enjoy!

Choosing a Corporate Form for Your Business: Sole Proprietorships

Congratulations, you have successfully chosen a name for you Small to Medium-size Business (SMB). Now, comes the hard or tricky part, as if choosing a name wasn't difficult enough. Actually, this next step may not be as difficult as I am making it out to be. In fact, choosing what corporate form your business will take can be quite simple depending your goals and objectives, as well as the size of the business, and your mission or plans.

I have decided to discuss the corporate forms segments via a series of blog posts rather than trying to tackle the various forms in one sitting. There are many corporate forms that you can choose to adopt for your business. Each form serves a different purpose, although there may be some overlap in the inherent form or structure of each corporate form. Basically, there are four corporate forms: (1) the Sole Proprietorship (SP); (2) the Partnership; (3) the Corporation; and (4) the Limited Liability Company (LLC).

This post will focus on the simplest of the corporate forms: the Sole Proprietorship or SP. Plain and simple, entrepreneurs usually choose to form their company as a SP because it is the simplest business form, and I do mean simple. Typically, as a SP you just slap a sign on your place of business and start raking in the dough. Yes, it is that simple. Well, not that simple, of course you need the business licenses that your city or town requires you to have to operate your business, but other than that you are flying solo fast if you choose this business form.

Another characteristic of the SP that people either love or hate is that the income generated by the business is treated as personal income, and while this may be cool for the sake of ease of management or seamless tracking, the downside to the SP is that this business form exposes you to personal liability and risk. This means that if someone sues you--you may find yourself in court in the fight of your life to keep your shirt or worse your house. But, don't fret here, as the SP works for some and not for others. But, I will say that the SP is not for the faint of heart. In any case, there are alternative corporate forms to choose from, and the SP is just one. Each corporate form has its own set of advantages and drawbacks which I have highlighted below:

Advantages of the Sole Proprietorship

• You are in business pretty much Day 1;


• SPs are easy to form;


• you control all of your profits;


• you call the shots;


• flexibility;


• you don't have to file a separate tax return for business; and


• there is less governmental regulation

Disadvantages of a Sole Proprietorship

• As mentioned above, you are personally liable for 100 percent of all business debts and obligations;


• Difficulty raising the capital needed to grow and finance the business;


• Death or incapacitation of the owner may cause the business to terminate;


• Less professional appeal than a partnership or corporation.
  

Next Up: Partnerships