I have a host of websites bookmarked but a few I have found in the past week are pretty helpful and I thought I would share. One is friendfeed , which is a site you use to enter your status updates or blog information and it forwards to all the social media sites you belong to. It is free, the directions are easy, you get set up and then have one place to go, you can update all your social stuff at once! You still have to read your tweets from friends.. havent found a fast way to do that yet.
Another site is called submitterbot , This is a directory submission site. If you want your website to be found, being in as many directories as possible is a step in the right direction. Again this is completely free, you sign up, fill in the information about your website, then you have to take the time to submit to each directory BUT, they have the list of ALL the directories and they get new ones every day. You dont have to pick the right place for your website in each directory, Submitterbot chooses the best place for you by the keywords you have entered. So, this may take a little time each day but it is much quicker than googling all the directories out there, signing up for each one and entering your website. I turn on Pandora and enter for about 1/2 hour a day... I make it fun. If you have a directory, you can submit it there so folks can find you.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday AM.. yawn, but my brain is going 100 mph
Its Monday but it feels like Sunday to me. My family has barbers days off so Sunday and Monday is the weekend around here. I am attempting to get things done early this morning before everyone wakes up and starts 'needing' me for different things. Having a home office is a great freedom, but can also be harder than going to work, because I am right here where everyone can find me.
Last night I watched the 60 minutes interview with Ben Bernanke. He is a smart cookie and I enjoyed the interview. His view on the financial outlook was much brighter than the media has been reporting, which is why I sat down to write this. I am so tired of the news that I really don't watch it anymore. I get most of my news online, I only read the articles that interest me and I stay away from the gloom and doomers. I, by no means, am sticking my head in the sand, on the contrary, I am fully aware of whats going on. My husband follows politics and finances all day, but one in the family is enough. I believe that we do reap what we sew and if we sew negative, head bowing, OMG news, that is what we will continue to get. We all keep hearing about the more than 10% that are out of work in CA, I realize that and am actually part of that (lay off last year) but the other part of that story is the other 90% are still working! Lets talk about the MILLIONS who still work every day. I do want to know how many people are out of work. I do want to help and I do want to know what is being done, if anything, but at the same time must it be the only subject that is covered?
One of the changes that I have noticed locally, people staying home with their families more. I do realize that when folks don't go out to eat, the restaurants suffer, but when people stay home, the family gets stronger. We have been cooking dinners, here at home, almost every night over the past few months and I am really enjoying that. I am actually going to plant a garden this year, which will be the first time since we moved in, 9 years ago (I didn't say I was going to grow a garden because I don't have the greenest thumb). I have read about more neighborhood gardens popping up around the country. Getting back to basics is a good thing for people, just not such a good thing for retailers and local, product based businesses. We will emerge from this, and I do believe that we will be stronger. Those people who have that entrepreneur spirit, who own those local businesses, might fail at that particular business but will start another one. Its the nature of the beast. I have that entrepreneur spirit. Sage Virtual Assistance is the 3rd business I have started. If this one, by chance, doesn't work (which I know it will) I will keep trying until something does work because its the core of who I am. New adventures, new people, new ideas, building, growing, making connections. It is exciting to me!
I am going to be positive about the future because I refuse to live in this climate of gloom and doom anymore!
Last night I watched the 60 minutes interview with Ben Bernanke. He is a smart cookie and I enjoyed the interview. His view on the financial outlook was much brighter than the media has been reporting, which is why I sat down to write this. I am so tired of the news that I really don't watch it anymore. I get most of my news online, I only read the articles that interest me and I stay away from the gloom and doomers. I, by no means, am sticking my head in the sand, on the contrary, I am fully aware of whats going on. My husband follows politics and finances all day, but one in the family is enough. I believe that we do reap what we sew and if we sew negative, head bowing, OMG news, that is what we will continue to get. We all keep hearing about the more than 10% that are out of work in CA, I realize that and am actually part of that (lay off last year) but the other part of that story is the other 90% are still working! Lets talk about the MILLIONS who still work every day. I do want to know how many people are out of work. I do want to help and I do want to know what is being done, if anything, but at the same time must it be the only subject that is covered?
One of the changes that I have noticed locally, people staying home with their families more. I do realize that when folks don't go out to eat, the restaurants suffer, but when people stay home, the family gets stronger. We have been cooking dinners, here at home, almost every night over the past few months and I am really enjoying that. I am actually going to plant a garden this year, which will be the first time since we moved in, 9 years ago (I didn't say I was going to grow a garden because I don't have the greenest thumb). I have read about more neighborhood gardens popping up around the country. Getting back to basics is a good thing for people, just not such a good thing for retailers and local, product based businesses. We will emerge from this, and I do believe that we will be stronger. Those people who have that entrepreneur spirit, who own those local businesses, might fail at that particular business but will start another one. Its the nature of the beast. I have that entrepreneur spirit. Sage Virtual Assistance is the 3rd business I have started. If this one, by chance, doesn't work (which I know it will) I will keep trying until something does work because its the core of who I am. New adventures, new people, new ideas, building, growing, making connections. It is exciting to me!
I am going to be positive about the future because I refuse to live in this climate of gloom and doom anymore!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Guerrilla marketing and living more creatively
Everyone I talk to is having to cut back. Either they dont go to dinner as often, they dont go drinking as often (which isnt such a bad thing). They arent shopping for new "things" as much as they did. When times are tough, as they are now, people get tougher, its inevitable. I have complete confidence that folks WILL adapt to the changes that are coming.
Do you recall the 70's when we had to go to the gas station every OTHER day, depending on your license plate numbers? I was living in Los Angeles at the time and remember fights breaking out that the gas pumps because someone had a gas jug and no car. So right now, its money we cant get our hands on. Its always something. Our houses are worth less than when we purchased them. Our Credit Card Companies are charging more interest. At least K-Mart and Sears are starting their layaway again... My Mom always put things on layaway when I was a kid. We have been a throw away society for so long that fixing the hole in that blouse or stitching on a new button wasn't cool, give it to the goodwill and buy a new one. Now, I find myself fixing that button less shirt. Thats ok, I actually like it. I am a pack rat and have always hated throwing things out.
Marketing, which was my original reason for writing this, is another place where we have to cut back. Ok, so the employment looks bleak, over 10% are out of work in CA, but what about the other 90%? They are still working their jobs or struggling to keep their businesses afloat in this media climate of gloom and doom... which is another peeve of mine, but I will go into that later. So I have been researching guerrilla marketing techniques and so far, I am finding a ton of things I can do to keep my business name out there in front of people for very little if any cash out of my pocket. For one, SOCIAL MEDIA is HUGE!! Post post post to those blogs, twitter, facebook, LinkedIn, forums... wherever you can post do it! (If your not sure how, contact me, I can do it for you) You would be amazed at the people out there who look at these and recognize your name after you have been around a while. Donate to charity. Put together a basket of goodies for a local cause with your business card or a flyer in it. Everyone who is at the event, everyone who looks at the pretty baskets that are going to be auctioned off, will see YOUR business card or flyer. Get out and join networking groups. I know alot of the networking groups are not exactly cheap but there are some out there, people who are like minded who are doing the same thing as you, trying to keep their head above water and it doesnt cost an arm and a leg. Postcards are great, get on your computer, make a postcard and print it out, take it over to Kinkos and get a bunch of copies. Now give those postcards to EVERYONE YOU MEET... They are obviously bigger than a business card so not likely to get lost in peoples wallet along with the other business cards they are toting around. I was googling around the other day and found these adorable little bookmark templates. I downloaded them, customized them and laminated them.. I carry around a handful and give them out, again, to EVERYONE I MEET.
In other words, BE your company.. breath it, sleep it, think it, talk about it... and good luck to you in your ventures!! Remember, if your not sure how to do some of these things, pop me an email, I can help you out!!!
Do you recall the 70's when we had to go to the gas station every OTHER day, depending on your license plate numbers? I was living in Los Angeles at the time and remember fights breaking out that the gas pumps because someone had a gas jug and no car. So right now, its money we cant get our hands on. Its always something. Our houses are worth less than when we purchased them. Our Credit Card Companies are charging more interest. At least K-Mart and Sears are starting their layaway again... My Mom always put things on layaway when I was a kid. We have been a throw away society for so long that fixing the hole in that blouse or stitching on a new button wasn't cool, give it to the goodwill and buy a new one. Now, I find myself fixing that button less shirt. Thats ok, I actually like it. I am a pack rat and have always hated throwing things out.
Marketing, which was my original reason for writing this, is another place where we have to cut back. Ok, so the employment looks bleak, over 10% are out of work in CA, but what about the other 90%? They are still working their jobs or struggling to keep their businesses afloat in this media climate of gloom and doom... which is another peeve of mine, but I will go into that later. So I have been researching guerrilla marketing techniques and so far, I am finding a ton of things I can do to keep my business name out there in front of people for very little if any cash out of my pocket. For one, SOCIAL MEDIA is HUGE!! Post post post to those blogs, twitter, facebook, LinkedIn, forums... wherever you can post do it! (If your not sure how, contact me, I can do it for you) You would be amazed at the people out there who look at these and recognize your name after you have been around a while. Donate to charity. Put together a basket of goodies for a local cause with your business card or a flyer in it. Everyone who is at the event, everyone who looks at the pretty baskets that are going to be auctioned off, will see YOUR business card or flyer. Get out and join networking groups. I know alot of the networking groups are not exactly cheap but there are some out there, people who are like minded who are doing the same thing as you, trying to keep their head above water and it doesnt cost an arm and a leg. Postcards are great, get on your computer, make a postcard and print it out, take it over to Kinkos and get a bunch of copies. Now give those postcards to EVERYONE YOU MEET... They are obviously bigger than a business card so not likely to get lost in peoples wallet along with the other business cards they are toting around. I was googling around the other day and found these adorable little bookmark templates. I downloaded them, customized them and laminated them.. I carry around a handful and give them out, again, to EVERYONE I MEET.
In other words, BE your company.. breath it, sleep it, think it, talk about it... and good luck to you in your ventures!! Remember, if your not sure how to do some of these things, pop me an email, I can help you out!!!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
New baby on the block!!!
In my neighborhood we have mostly retirees except that cute couple across the street... they bought her Moms house when they got married (Mom and I have been friends for 10 years) and Mom got married and had to move......... with her husband.... dang I miss her... BUT... I know she will be around alot in the near future because she is now a proud Grandma... Little Payton Hope was born this morning. I am more than excited for them and for me, hopefully I can baby sit now and then. If I have a baby to play with maybe I will stop looking for more dogs and cats :) I have enough critters and dont need more but cant help myself.......
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
How to protect your online information
In my business, clients worry about their privacy, rightly so, it seems even Banks and Obama's hand held are fair game to hackers. We work with secure companies to do our online business. We are not perfect but we work hard at making sure your information is not breech able. There are simple steps we can take to ensure our online life is safe and secure from hackers and people who are up to no good.
Scanning the internet, I found this article and wanted to share. I found it at:
ehow.com...
In my business, clients worry about their privacy, rightly so, it seems even Banks and Obama's hand held are fair game to hackers. We work with secure companies to do our online business. We are not perfect but we work hard at making sure your information is not breech able. There are simple steps we can take to ensure our online life is safe and secure from hackers and people who are up to no good.
Scanning the internet, I found this article and wanted to share. I found it at:
ehow.com...
By eHow Internet Editor
You shop online. You bank online. You communicate online. The Internet has allowed us to do almost everything online, but it has also allowed hackers and thieves to obtain your private information online. Is your Internet security in jeopardy? Evaluate your online practices. If you think you could beef up your Internet security, read on. Adequate Internet security is possible with the following steps.
Step1
Never share any username or password with anyone else. Make sure your passwords are strong and hard to decipher so that no one else can guess them. Step2
Fill out information and download files or programs only from websites you trust. Always looks for “https” at the beginning of the web address; this signifies that the site is secure. Furthermore, when you are done transmitting your information online, don't forget to log off and clear your cookies and web browser history as well. Step3
Install an Internet security program that guards against identity theft, worms and spyware. Your internet supplier should have software you can download or you can purchase something like Norton. Step4
Create an alternate email address for further Internet security. Use this new email address for completing online forms, posting in public forms or any other purpose that is public in nature. Step5
Familiarize yourself with the privacy policies of websites you frequent. It is important to understand how the sites you visit are using the information you submit online. If you do not agree with the websites’ practices such as sending you emails with advertising in them, do not submit your private information on those websites. Step6
Read your email only after downloading it off the server. Staying connected to your email while you are still online gives hackers a chance to view private information in your email. Email clients such as Eudora or Microsoft Outlook allow you to do this. Step7
Remove all your personal information and documents from your hard drive before selling or giving your computer to someone else.I hope this list helps you with your ventures in the virtual world we all now live in. Thanks to ehow, they are a world of information.
Starting anew, again
Feeling the effects of the economy lately? Ya, me too. I find myself doing things a little more on the cheap than usual (which is usually on the cheap already). Not driving as many places or trying to lump everything into one trip if possible. Not going out to eat at much, cooking alot more at home which is a good practice that I didnt realize I missed. Family tends to spend more time together when they have to cook and clean up the kitchen.. you know the drill, "Put this in the fridge please", Honey could you check the oven, make sure dinner isnt burning", "Has anyone seen the salt?" "Whos doing dishes, not I", hehe. In more ways we are all seeing the effects of having lack of funds. Have you ever heard of a Virtual Assistant? I do know quite a few small business owners who do ALL the work themselves. They say they cant afford to hire someone and temp agencies really arent always a viable option. A virtual assistant can do all those tasks that take time away from you building your business. Since I have been an administrative assistant off and on for the past 25-30 years and I want to do something that I can do in my home office, I thought this would be a perfect solution for me and I am guessing there are a few small business owners right here in Sacramento who could use some help without actually hiring someone to work XX amount of hours a week, takes breaks, lunch, talks on the phone (not that all office assistants talk to their friends on the phone but you get my drift) When you hire someone to come sit in your office, even if its 10 hours a week. Are you actually getting 10 hours a week worth of productive time? You also have to pay the government another 29.3% of your employees salary. You have to buy office supplies, all the software, computers and furniture. You have to maintain the office, pay for the lights, etc. With me, you will pay a flat rate per hour. If you like we can work out a retainer agreement where I will devote a certain amount of hours a week to your business. It seems this is a win win. I am really excited and ready to go. I have all the software I need, the office, the supplies the zest to get up and GOO... call me!!
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