Being in the Buzz, Community, and Viral Marketing world one thing I have always struggled with is how to really get noticed at a big conference. Most recently was South by South West (SXSW), a technology, music, and film festival jammed into one, hosted every year in Austin, TX. In fact SXSW is so big that the technology industry nearly comes to a halt for a week. Even Peter Shankman (founder and writer of HARO) had his publisher send out the updates for him. That never happens!

We knew there would be 20k-30k tech entrepreneurs in the same place, but the question was “How do you compete with the Microsoft, Adobe, Kodak, AOL, and all the college students passing out free Zone Perfect Bars?” The only thing we knew was we didn’t want to give SXSW Incorporated $10-20,000 to have a boring booth or table.

As the tournament kicks off today, productivity all over the U.S decreases dramatically. For those of us in the office, we can check the scores online and for some brave souls, watch the games at CBS.com with the “Boss Button“.

But what about those who are in meetings or on sales calls and can’t check the score? What if your favorite team is on?

With Grasshopper, this tragedy can be averted.

While you may not be able to break out your phone to check the score, you can take an important call right?

• Using your Grasshopper 800 or local number, set up a March Madness extension.

• Tell your friends who are not working to call this extension to provide updates (lets just stick with half-time, 12 minutes and final).

• When the call is forwarded to your cell phone, you will see the extension and immediately know it’s a score update.

• Politely excuse yourself, stating you have to take this call, and immediately get the latest news.

Colleagues and associates will be none the wiser and you won’t have to worry about missing any news about your team.

*We don’t actually recommend doing this but hey, do what you have to do.

We have worked with TrendsSpotting to present a comprehensive review of entrepreneurs/entrepreneurship. Get facts about entrepreneurs: profiles, inspirations, home based statistics, incomes and revenues. We also explore the influence of the recession on new jobs, profits, and the establishment of new businesses.

Check it out and let us know your own thoughts for the future.

High school kids rock. Especially the ones I had the pleasure of meeting last week at the Massachusetts State DECA Conference in downtown Boston. DECA is an organization that aims to empower young people to pursue careers in marketing, management, and entrepreneurship through education and leadership development events. 185,000 high schools students participate through 5,000 chapters across the U.S.

Along with my colleagues, Jeremy Butler (DECA alumni) and Jon Kay, I served as a judge in the Entrepreneurship category and Grasshopper donated scholarships for the top three participants in our category.

A virtual office can be a great asset for any small business. It can be even more valuable for an entrepreneur just getting a company up and running. With the economy still struggling and everyone working hard to stay profitable, cost-cutting measures are vital.

A virtual office can help you save money in three main areas:

1. Office Space

   Whether you are working from home, a coffee shop or a co-working space, you can save a lot of money by not leasing out a big office. There are no costs for rent, furniture, office equipment or utilities.

   Even more importantly, if you find yourself traveling a lot, working from home or just not spending much time in the office, you are not locked into a lease.

2. Travel Expenses

   With the average cost of commuting ranging from $110-$648 a month, traveling to work can be expensive. You have gas, maintenance and for some, tolls.