No matter how good you’re doing on your quest for supreme efficiency, some days you’ll run into the ugly wall of procrastination. For this “Tips from the Trenches” post, I asked some experts and fellow Twitter users to share their tips for battling procrastination and … Read More »
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Meryl K Evans
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FreshBooks users with iPhones or iPod Touches can now manage their FreshBooks account while on the go with MiniBooks, an app from Groovy Squared. The app synchronizes with your FreshBook account, so you can access your data even if you lose your … Read More »
It’s easier to admit something to your computer screen than to a person’s face. The anonymous world out there behind the monitor can lead us to reveal much more about ourselves than we should. But how much is too much? As you might have guessed, … Read More »
Most web-based invoicing apps offer similar features, allowing you to customize and email invoices, track payments and view reports. WorkingPoint, formerly Netbooks, is an easy-to-use app that does all that, plus by partnering with direct marketing company VerticalResponse it gives users a way … Read More »
Losing a big client actually launched my freelance writing career, but not all stories end as well as mine did. Today, I try to make sure the income I receive is spread across more clients so I don’t get into that situation again. You can’t … Read More »
I’m not suggesting you crack open your computer to fix it, but with a few of the tactics outlined in this post you can solve many of your computer problems on your own. Besides, wouldn’t you rather solve your problems instead of waiting for a … Read More »
I didn’t say that mind maps don’t work — in fact, I have a big post with all kinds of resources on data and information visualization, and mind maps make up a chunk. However, although mind mapping helps many folks explore topics and … Read More »
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In your quest for better efficiency, you’ve probably read books like “Getting Things Done” and “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” and tried to implement the strategies contained within them. Yet you know you can do better in managing your day and being more … Read More »
Do you worry about chasing down payments because you don’t want to get into a touchy situation with your clients? Just because the client hasn’t paid in a timely manner doesn’t mean you should dump them from your client list as soon as they get … Read More »
Distance learning has gone mainstream. The U.S. Department of Education report “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning” states that “on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.” Consider the following: In the 2006–07 academic year, 66 percent of … Read More »
In my school district, kids get out of school as early as 2:45 pm and as late as 4:15 pm. If you start working after the kids leave for school, you can usually get around six or seven hours of work done. Most people tend … Read More »
Facebook has two types of pages. The first is Facebook Pages, which allow public figures, businesses, or brands a space to share information, interact with their fans and create an interactive forum on Facebook. The other, Groups, focus less on a person, brand or … Read More »
I remember when Dave Winer introduced Really Simple Syndication (RSS) in Radio Userland way back in 2001. At the time, the biggest problem was finding sites that had available RSS feeds. Today, it’s rare to find a site without feeds. Despite feeds becoming a regular part of … Read More »
Freelancers can be stubborn about taking vacations. We know that money usually doesn’t come in when we go on a holiday, so we skip vacations and relax during off hours. But we all need vacations or else we’ll head straight for Burnout City, a … Read More »
A brand doesn’t sell itself. Someone has to communicate its value to the world and reach its target market. The science of marketing involves market research, segmenting the market and building and executing a marketing plan that fulfills business goals. People in public relations (PR), on the … Read More »
With technology such as remote control applications hitting the market, tech support and customer service roles can increasingly be performed remotely by anyone with the right skills, a computer, a phone line and a reliable Internet connection. Is tech support or customer service the web working … Read More »
Like many web workers, one of my challenges is keeping my data in sync between the various devices and apps that I use. I stopped using my Palm handheld over a year ago, but I’ve continued to use the Palm Desktop application, because it’s one … Read More »
I tend to back down from face-to-face gatherings and cold calling as networking and marketing tools. Instead, I rely on social networks. I’m not shy nor do I have anything significant about appearance (I would hope that people see a person beyond looks, anyway). However, … Read More »
At first peek, web app Teambox looks like another collaboration tool: it’s a Basecamp rival that facilitates collaboration and notifies team members of additions and changes to your projects. Both come with a simple, user-friendly interface. But Teambox has one bonus; it lets … Read More »
There are a huge number of task management and reminder apps available, each with a different range of features and complexity. Some applications seem to have too many features for me, while others don’t have enough. Superminder seems to get it just right. It … Read More »
Do you often repeat the same tasks over and over on a Windows machine? You can avoid many of the steps and save time if you save your actions for later replay using WinAutomation. The application is ideal for power users and can even take … Read More »
Thunderbird, Mozilla’s email client, is a favorite of many web workers because it’s free, open source and feels faster, lighter and more efficient than Microsoft Outlook. But did you know that, like Firefox, Thunderbird has a wide range of free add-ons available that can … Read More »
Most of you know that Twitter can be used for much more than just announcing what you ate for breakfast. Many of you already know Twitter’s value in business, but you can still take it further and use it to land gigs, market your business, … Read More »
Personal branding reflects how you represent yourself in the digital world from both a personal and business view. I believe that in this social media age everyone — from high school graduates to established professionals — needs to pay attention to his or her personal brand. Here … Read More »
YouTube’s not just for posting silly videos of sleepwalking dogs and other embarrassing moments — it can also be used as a highly effective business tool. You can use it to show off your expertise, share knowledge, market your products and connect with customers, colleagues and … Read More »
Testimonials — done right — can be incredibly useful when trying to get new work. They open the door to new clients, and help to take take pressure off those who fear sounding like a braggart in the horn-tooting process. Instead, you let your happy clients … Read More »
If you own a BlackBerry and use Twitter as much as I do, you’re more than likely frustrated with the experience of using the Twitter web site via your phone’s browser. With more Twitter applications available for the device, do any succeed in turning the BlackBerry … Read More »
Facebook’s not just for keeping tabs on friends and filling out quizzes — it can also be used as a highly effective business tool. It’s great for marketing your products, landing gigs and connecting with your customers. Here are 32 ways to use Facebook in your business. Read More »
Is your LinkedIn account mostly sitting idle? You can do so much more with it than simply look up contacts: find gigs, sell products, expand your networks, grow your business and gain free publicity. Here are 33 ways to use LinkedIn more effectively. Fill out your profile … Read More »
Twitter is still a scary, untamed frontier for many businesses. They know that they should be engaging with the Twitter community, but aren’t sure how to do it. I’ve collected up some of the most common questions asked by Twitter-for-business newbies and answered them below. Is it bad … Read More »
A poll can be a great way to start online conversations, discover trends or get feedback from customers. ProProfs Polls offers a quick and easy option with good features. Like most free polling services, ProProfs lets you create and share the polls online, but it includes … Read More »
What methods do you provide for people to contact you through your web site? Generally, providing more ways for your visitors to contact you is better, but including everything on your site can get messy, and can also leave your details open to spammers. VisitorContact … Read More »
Yikes! I participated in two Twitter chats last night and lost a follower as a result of overwhelming his stream with my tweets. Here are eight simple ways to avoid driving your followers crazy by dominating their streams, and perhaps losing them in the process. Read More »
I love technology, but not when it comes to switching PCs — moving all the data and applications from one Windows machine to another is not always as easy as it could be. I thought I’d share some tips gleaned from my latest move to a new … Read More »
I’m in the middle of moving to new computers. Two of them. The laptop is easy. The desktop, well, that’s a story for another post. New and faster computers with a fresh install can compel a person to look up applications, plugins and other tools to … Read More »
Most business books on the market cover the gamut of how to make more money, gain fame, grow, get work done, and manage people. But few talk about business from the perspective of “family first” like Marc Warnke’s book “ONO, Options Not Obligations.” Many web … Read More »
Web working is not for everybody. Those who do it tend to have traits and personalities that fit the web working life. For others, it means making sacrifices they don’t want to make. “I don’t really understand why people would like to work at home. It’s … Read More »
While it may not happen in a single 140-character line, Twitter opens the door for connecting with potential clients, building relationships, finding new employees and satisfying cravings for water cooler chats, all of which can lead to opportunities. Both new and not-so-new Twitter users often ask … Read More »
By Meryl K Evans
Jun. 15, 2009, 1:00pm PT
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I wish school would go year-round — then summer would be easier to handle. Alas, the kids have almost three months off, and it means finding a way to balance fun and relaxation with working. Parents everywhere face the summer dilemma every year, so try … Read More »
Many of us work alone doing every job in the symphony that’s our business, including tasks accounting, marketing and PR. We can outsource these things, but many, like me, prefer to take the frugal route. I asked Jeff Crilley, a former Emmy-winning TV news reporter … Read More »
Graphic designers are a passionate lot. The few interviewed for this article all had one thing in common: They’ve been interested in graphic design for as long as they can remember. Is graphic design the web working career for you? Graphic Design Career It’s important to highlight the … Read More »
Whenever I feel like I’m battling myself and losing in trying get writing done, I can hear my mom saying, “You’re human, not a machine.” She’s right. We’re all going to have days where we hit the wall and can’t muster up energy to do our … Read More »
Tom Scavo, long-time marketer, interviews for a job. The interview goes well, until the 30-year-old interviewer asks him if he had ever used Twitter as part of a marketing campaign. Scavo has no clue what Twitter is. His wife — also a marketer — later explains … Read More »
Ninety-nine percent of authors don’t make money on their book projects, 99 percent of publishers lose money and 1,500 books are published every day, reports Clint Greenleaf. With those stats, why does anyone consider a career as a writer or editor? Because even with those stats, … Read More »
You wouldn’t be reading this post if it weren’t for web designers. It’s web designers who help make it possible for us to have the best and easiest web experience possible. Web design is a large and growing field; despite the downturn, Dice.com currently lists nearly … Read More »
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