Beyond438 http://www.beyond438.com We specialize in assisting South African technology companies to succeed in the USA Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:48:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Official US Green Card lottery opens Oct 4, 2011 http://www.beyond438.com/2011/10/05/official-us-green-card-lottery-opens-oct-4-2011/ http://www.beyond438.com/2011/10/05/official-us-green-card-lottery-opens-oct-4-2011/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:46:25 +0000 beyond438 http://www.beyond438.com/?p=592 Green Card

Green Card

Green card lottery is open!

I know many South Africans in the US that won their green cards (or permanent residence cards) by entering the US Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery Program or the Green Card Lottery.The official place to find information regarding the lottery is at the US. Dept of State website. Do yourself a favor and don’t use ANY other website! There are literary hundreds of sites that offer to do this for you for a fee, sometimes a substantial fee.The lottery opened Oct 4, 2011, 12pm EDT and ends November 5, 2011, 12pm EST.

]]> http://www.beyond438.com/2011/10/05/official-us-green-card-lottery-opens-oct-4-2011/feed/ 0 Surprising truth about what motivates us http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/12/surprising-truth-about-what-motivates-us/ http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/12/surprising-truth-about-what-motivates-us/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:38:52 +0000 beyond438 http://www.beyond438.com/?p=572 This is a short but very insightful video on what drives and motivates people. Guess what, mostly NOT money. The animation is amazing. This video is by Daniel Pink, based on his book: Drive. See for yourself.

 

]]> http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/12/surprising-truth-about-what-motivates-us/feed/ 0 Just one word- AWESOME! http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/05/georgia-state-university/ http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/05/georgia-state-university/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:14:01 +0000 http://64.15.152.72/~beyondco/wordpress/?p=494 “Just one word- AWESOME! Carel summed, integrated, enlightened, amused, humored and educated us in the process of sharing some very important and helpful information! His commitment to education and learning is so clear!”

– Dr. Marta Szabo White, Associate Professor, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University

]]> http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/05/georgia-state-university/feed/ 0 A true professional http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/05/humanconcepts/ http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/05/humanconcepts/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:12:40 +0000 http://64.15.152.72/~beyondco/wordpress/?p=491 “Carel Bekker of Beyond438 is a true professional and an expert at navigating the nuanced path to a successful outcome in technology sales and business development. Beyond438 can be entrusted with mission critical projects at the highest level.”

- Martin Sacks, CEO HumanConcepts

]]> http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/05/humanconcepts/feed/ 0 A world class resource http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/05/brand-velocity/ http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/05/brand-velocity/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:11:09 +0000 http://64.15.152.72/~beyondco/wordpress/?p=489 “At Brand Velocity we have found Beyond438 to be a world class resource, helping us assess and address critical business issues.  I recommend Beyond438 with great enthusiasm.” 

– Jack Bergstrand, CEO Brand Velocity, Inc.

 

]]> http://www.beyond438.com/2011/04/05/brand-velocity/feed/ 0 Beyond Strategy http://www.beyond438.com/2011/03/24/hello-world/ http://www.beyond438.com/2011/03/24/hello-world/#comments Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:38:21 +0000 http://64.15.152.72/~beyondco/wordpress/?p=1 Beyond438 exists to translate the passion we have for solving business problems into profits for our clients. We do this in a thoughtful, “been-there-done-that,”  and “as-if-it-is-my-company” kind of way with our company principles guiding all our interactions.

We have a passion for business – for solving difficult business problems.

We have a passion for building world class companies – to grow beyond their current potential.

We have a passion for business leaders – to help them do the right thing in the jungle called the business world.

Our ultimate goal is to Wow! our clients and to take them to places where they’ve not been before. Places, such as, new revenue streams, South Africa and America.

]]> http://www.beyond438.com/2011/03/24/hello-world/feed/ 0 Why I’m NOT getting an iPad 2! http://www.beyond438.com/2011/03/11/not-getting-an-ipad2/ http://www.beyond438.com/2011/03/11/not-getting-an-ipad2/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:57:15 +0000 beyond438 http://blog.beyond438.com/?p=465 Yes, today, March 11th, 2011, is launch day for Apple’s new iPad, the iPad 2.

I pre-ordered the iPad 1 and eagerly awaited the Fedex guy to deliver my oversized iPhone. I’ve loved using my iPad since them, HOWEVER, I’m NOT getting the new one. Don’t get me wrong it is another magical device and how can I go against David Pogue of the NY Times and CNet.Guess what, I’m actually going in the other direction. I officially handed over my iPad 1, 64GB to my wife and she loves it! I have a big screen iMac for work, however I need a device that can travel with me. So, I’ve done lots of thinking and research and I’m opting for the 11″ MacBook Air.

 

Apple 11" MacBook Air

11" MacBook Air vs 13" MacBook Air

 

Surprised, here are my reasons:

  1. I need a real keyboard. The keyboard on the iPad is great, but it takes up half the screen. You also cannot rest your figures on the keyboard. I also don’t want to lug around a wireless keyboard. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 0.
  2. I want (not need) a very small and light device to carry with me. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 1.
  3. It must be cool. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 1.
  4. I use logmein for my hosting business, ClickHOST.com. I need access to my servers and cloud-based software and yes, you can do it with the iPad, but I found it cumbersome. Logmein on the MacBook Air is as if you are working on your desktop computer. Although a much smaller version :-) . MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 0.5.
  5. I need to see 2 windows at one time. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 0.
  6. I don’t want the device to be a barrier when I’m meeting somebody. The iPad is awesome in this regard, and a full laptop is bad. The MBA 11″ is a good compromise. MacBookAir: 0.5, iPad: 1.
  7. The iPad has an awesome battery, over 10 hours. That should last you a day. I’ve really enjoyed NOT having to carry a charger with me. The MacBook Air’s battery is ok at 5 hours. It should get me thru most of my day. MacBookAir: 0.5, iPad: 2.
  8. Backup for my iMac. I can also quickly connect my USB backup drive to my MacBookAir if my iMac had a problem. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 0.
  9. Streaming movies, access to my favorite websites, iTunes, etc: MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 1.
  10. Instant on/off. MacBookAir: 1, iPad: 1.
  11. Not having to clean the screen — priceless!

In summary: I’m getting a 11″ MacBookAir and my wife’s getting the iPad.PS: My son is buying his own iPad 2 today. He sold his iPad 1 yesterday.Question: What do you think? Did I make the right decision?

]]> http://www.beyond438.com/2011/03/11/not-getting-an-ipad2/feed/ 3 ClickHOST – I liked the name so I bought the company. http://www.beyond438.com/2011/02/07/clickhost-i-liked-the-name-so-i-bought-the-company/ http://www.beyond438.com/2011/02/07/clickhost-i-liked-the-name-so-i-bought-the-company/#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:07:07 +0000 beyond438 http://blog.beyond438.com/?p=463 [Discount code at the bottom of the post]

ClickHOST is such a catchy name. It says exactly what the company does. You click, we host. End of last year I acquired all the assets of ClickHOST.com. We provide mostly shared web hosting for smaller business, associations, charities, churches and professionals. ClickHOST started in 2000 and has built up a wonderful customer base. We already have great systems and a great team in place to support our existing and future customers.

Some examples include:-

You can follow us on twitter at twitter.com/clickhost. Use promo code CH-TWIT10 for 10% of web hosting and domain names. Post a comment to receive a 20% discount.

]]> http://www.beyond438.com/2011/02/07/clickhost-i-liked-the-name-so-i-bought-the-company/feed/ 0 Why You Should Start a Company in Atlanta|FastCompany http://www.beyond438.com/2010/12/15/why-you-should-start-a-company-in-atlanta-fastcompany/ http://www.beyond438.com/2010/12/15/why-you-should-start-a-company-in-atlanta-fastcompany/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:20:02 +0000 beyond438 http://blog.beyond438.com/?p=460
Not too long ago, about fifty years, Atlanta was the size of Little Rock, Ark. About a hundred years before that, it was burned to the ground. Atlanta has proven it can grow (adding 1.1 million residents in the last decade alone). Now, it’s building toward a sort of tech hub in the southeast, against a backdrop that includes the busiest international airport in the world; a healthy cluster of corporate giants in Coca-Cola, UPS, Delta and The Home Depot, among others; and a spur of entrepreneurial activity that put Atlanta in the top ten on this year’s Kauffman Entrepreneurial Index, which tracks new business creation.But in a place where half the population isn’t from there, identity is a work-in-progress—theNew York Times called Atlanta “corporate stronghold, a Southern belle and a hip-hop capital”—all at once. Add to that: home to Internet security expertise and a key drug in HIV treatment. Alan Taetle, general partner at venture capital firm Noro-Moseley Partners, spoke with Fast Company about what makes Atlanta’s startup scene unique.Read more here.
]]> http://www.beyond438.com/2010/12/15/why-you-should-start-a-company-in-atlanta-fastcompany/feed/ 0 Best iPhone App ever – Consulting Rate Calculator http://www.beyond438.com/2010/10/28/best-iphone-app-ever-consulting-rate-calculator/ http://www.beyond438.com/2010/10/28/best-iphone-app-ever-consulting-rate-calculator/#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:10:35 +0000 beyond438 http://blog.beyond438.com/?p=438 OK, I’m bias. I’m so excited about this that I’m giving away 2 $10 iTunes vouchers. See below.I spent most of my professional career calculating margins on consulting rates, including doing conversions between different currencies, calculating hourly, daily and monthly rates. Well, now I have a handy little iPhone App, called Consulting Rate Calculator that can do all this for me and more. Here is a screen shot:
Consulting Rate Calculator

Consulting Rate Calculator

There are 2 versions: A 2-buck version that you can find here, and a and a free or lite version that you can find here. Here is the description from the App Store: Consulting Rate Calculator enables you to quickly and easily calculate your hourly, daily, weekly and monthly rates and profit. The app offers an intuitive and simple interface with the ability to view, edit, save and email your rate sheets. Switch currencies with ease or updating any charge out rate or cost rate cell in the sheet to assist in determining the optimal rate structure for your next project.Key Features:>> Hourly, daily, weekly and monthly values all editable and visible in a single sheet.>> Multiple currencies with selectable base and comparable currencies (Limited currencies available in lite version).>> Exchange rates updated in realtime.>> Save rate sheets for later viewing/editing (Full version only).>> E-mail rate sheets in CSV format (Full version only).>> Configurable hours per day, week and month.Usage Examples:1. A consulting manager can save his/her team’s rates for quick lookup. Quickly lookup a consultant’s rate structure when getting a call at the airport for a specific position.2. The manager of a multinational consulting firm can enter the charge out rate in GBP and the cost rate in USD to review the profit of a US-based consultant working in the UK.The guys at Cobi Interactive in Cape Town, South Africa did an awesome job with these apps. They develop mobile apps for almost any mobile device, including: iPhone, iPad, Android, Nokia, Blackberry, Samsung Galaxy Tab, etc. Post a comment and I’ll put you in touch with them.

Give-away

I have 2 iTunes $10 vouchers to give away. Here’s how it will work. Download the app, write a review on the AppStore and re-post that review in the comments below (including your email address as the contributor) and I will pick 2 random posts** and email you the $10 iTunes voucher.

iTunes giftcard

iTunes $10 giftcard

**Small print: I need at least 20 reviews to make the math work. I’m sure you’ll understand.
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