Simplify your business.
“What kind of smartphone should I get?”
I get asked this question a lot, from friends, family and clients. Most are looking for a quick answer so they can put an end to the dilemma of making a choice.
It’s no wonder. The selection of smartphone brands is endless: iPhone, Blackberry, Galaxy to name a few. It’s no wonder people stop in their tracks when having to make a choice.
If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, here are 5 things to consider before making your purchase: [Read more...]
I recently asked a group of entrepreneurs and small business owners to imagine they had a magic wand that would grant them one wish to solve their most pressing challenge in running their business.
Without hesitation, the majority of them told me it would be to have more time to serve their clients and grow their business. They all strongly disliked dealing with the day-to-day operational tasks that were important to keep their businesses running smoothly.
The truth is you don’t need a magic wand to get your wish. What you need are the right tools to automate certain areas that drain your time, energy, and money.
Picture this …
You’re surfing the web and you come across an interesting article that sparks a future blogpost idea for you. As a rule, you keep a running list of blog ideas in Evernote – your virtual, cloud-based, digital notebook. Oh how you wish you could add this interesting article to your list!
Enter Evernote Webclipper.
With the click of your mouse, this useful widget helps you capture web pages and store them into Evernote.
In this week’s video, I’ll show you just how easy Evernote Webclipper is to use.
I came back from Australia with a boomerang in my Gmail.
I’m not talking about the boomerangs the Australian Aboriginals developed for hunting. I’m talking about another kind of weapon … the one I use to attack my email inbox every day.
It’s called Boomerang and it’s a plugin that you use in Gmail to control when you send and receive emails.
In this week’s video, I’m going to show you how to get the Boomerang plug in and how to use it to help you save time and energy when dealing with your email.
Choosing yogurt is a lot like picking the right tech tool for your business.
I was at the grocery store the other day because I ran out of yogurt. All I wanted was raspberry yogurt. Not Greek style. Not fruit on the bottom. Not fat-free. Not probiotic. Just plain old raspberry yogurt. It seemed like an eternity before I found the right type.
Have you ever felt like that about choosing technology tools?
If so, read on. I’ve got five key tools to help your business become more efficient in 2013.
[Read more...]
Saying goodbye to a member of your team is tough. They’ve served you well. They were loyal, consistent, shared your workload and contributed to your success. When they leave, their absence is noticed.
That’s how I felt this week when Tungle, my online scheduling system, handed in its resignation. Unlike other team members, Tungle wasn’t moving on to greener pastures. As of December 3, 2012, Tungle would be dead. [Read more...]
I started the week in a bit of a panic. This is a particularly busy time of year for me. Home and work life tend to collide in June. Activities are winding down for my kids, which means recitals, play-offs and competitions. Client work ramps up as people tend to want to get organized when the weather turns warm. So, last Sunday night when I looked at the week ahead, alarm bells sounded. How was I going to accompish everything I had to get done in a mere five days?
Granted, I took comfort in knowing a lot of people feel this way. I work with them every day. But that comfort didn’t make all those to-dos get done.
So I took a deep breath and started implementing my CLEAR strategy. This is a proven process I use to help my clients organize their space and manage their time.
Here’s how CLEAR worked for me.
It was a dark and stormy night. Through the thick blackness a tiny light shone in a house far, far away. Why was this light on in the wee hours of the morning? What could be so important to cause someone to be up this late? Were they up to no good … possibly concocting a plan to overthrow the world? No. They were preparing their taxes for the almighty Canada Revenue Agency.
The plot thickens…
Unfortunately, a series of events prevented our tired and frustrated heroine from making her tax preparations an easy and stress-free process.
It was down to the 11th hour … she had to get vital information to her accountant in time to meet the impending deadline. But alas, the file was too big to email. Whatever would she do? This information was crucial to filing a complete tax return. If this didn’t happen, and she was late in sending in her tax return, she would face a stiff financial penalty.
Read on to find out how she was saved from this impending doom. [Read more...]
There has never been a better time to be in business for yourself. So many resources to help you in your entrepreneurial journey. Coaches to guide you as you build your business. Virtual assistants are just a click away, ready to tackle those tasks you’ve decided to outsource. And, best of all, tech tools to help you streamline your processes, automate your operations and connect you to clients. LOVE IT.
As responsible entrepreneurs and small business owners, we have to be focused on managing our budgets. Just because all those services and tools are out there, doesn’t mean we can afford to use them. At least not right now. So, here are five free tech tools to consider for your business. [Read more...]
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