How Tweet it is

Working from homeWith only 140 characters per message, is it possible to mess up a tweet? Absolutely. According to Lisa Barone, Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer at Outspoken Media, Inc., “Tweeting is an art.” Her blog post How To Write Better Tweets is filled with several to-the-point tips to help you improve the way you tweet including:

Think before you tweet: Before you tweet that link, publish that twitter comment or get into that heated debate, ask yourself if what you’re about to put out there is meaningful. You know that queasy feeling you get in your stomach when you say something you wish you could take back? Bad tweets can give you the same feeling but you can’t ever take those words back. [Read more...]

Tell the Truth Online, Pinocchio

working from homeI love it when someone says, “It’s true…I read it on the Internet.” Keep in mind that these people are serious.  Do you know how hard it is to keep a straight face when someone says that?  I’m not implying that everything on the Internet is made up but the reality is that it’s challenging to build trust and credibility.

The article 6 ways to get people to believe you online can help you become a bit more trustworthy.  A few of these tips may bring out the Boy Scout in you. [Read more...]

Secrets for Marketing Your Website

There's more to marketing your Website than adding photos of puppies...although it can't hurt.

There's more to marketing your Website than adding photos of puppies...although it can't hurt.

Market your Website in 40 easy steps…make them beat a path to your Internet door…if you post it, they will visit.

We’ve all seen, read and heard those Internet sales pitches and others before.  The problem? There’s always a string (actually a purse string) attached to advice for growing your Website.  Not today.  The tips you’ll find in the post BIG Ideas For Your Small Business Website make sense and they’re useful.  Best of all they’re free…no strings attached.

Make it a One Stop Shop. Partner with others or launch your own additional products and services to bring in some ancillary income. It sounds cliché but when we all work together, everyone benefits. [Read more...]

Making Space For More Stuff

A simple supply organizer can help you save space

A simple supply organizer can save space

Isn’t it amazing that no matter how much storage space you have, you can always use more? When I first moved into my latest home office, I thought for sure I’d have plenty of room for my books, supplies, projects and anything else that belonged in my home office.  A few months later I realized I was wrong. I bought two bookcases, added shelves to my closet and parted with things I’d never used. Before you give up on finding more storage space, try these tips.

  • Think vertically. Add freestanding bookcases to your home office or install shelves above or near your desk.
  • Replace stacking trays with stacking bins. Bins work better than stacking trays because they’re larger and there’s more space between each bin. Also, they sit on the floor not on your desk. [Read more...]

Making Money With Your Online Business

working from homeWouldn’t it be nice to make more money from your Website? How about discovering a few ways to drive more traffic to your site and making it profitable?  In a recent Open Forum post, business coach and consultant Dr. Susan L. Reid suggests 10 Things You Can Do to Make Your Online Business Money. Some of her best tips are:

  • Write down your personal affirmation for the month and the year. Remember the old Al Franken character Stuart Smalley who says, “I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!”? You don’t have to go that far but make it a point to focus on your good qualities. [Read more...]

Make Smarter Use of LinkedIn

pic_logo_119x32Have you taken a close look at LinkedIn? Facebook and Twitter get more attention but if you want to make business connections and not hear much about others’ cats, trips to the mall or their relationship dramas, give LinkedIn a chance.  I’m not knocking Facebook or Twitter for their business value but LinkedIn has a more professional face to it.

The Richer. Smarter. Happier.com post 27 Ways to Make Smarter Use of LinkedIn,” shares some quick and easy ways to ramp up your LinkedIn presence.  A few of my favorites are: [Read more...]

Is Blogging Dead?

Is it time to bury your blog?

Is it time to bury your blog?

Is it time to dump your blog? Steve Rubel, Senior Vice President of Edelman Digital, thinks so. In an interview Rubel did on Social Media Examiner (an awesome site worthing checking out), he explains why blogging is dead.  He feels site visitors don’t have time to read and would rather watch a video instead. And he stressed that video is mandatory, not optional.

During the interview, Rubel shares valuable info about how to measure social media metrics, why you need to be on all social networks where your clients are hanging out, and more.

After watching his interview, I’m not convinced that it’s time to bury blogging forever, but I agree with him about video. It’s easier to watch something (gotta love fast-forward) than to take the time to read it.  Unfortunately it can take longer to tape a video than to write a blog post.

A Healthy Addiction: The Mom Entrepreneur Blog

TMESG_Badge_01I have a new addiction: The Mom Entrepreneur support group.  The Mom Entrepreneur site founded by Traci Bisson offers valuable and useful information, but I can’t believe how helpful their support group has been these past few days.  I subscribe to several (actually too many) discussion groups but their members don’t answer questions as often as the members of this group.

A few of the discussion topics this week have been: [Read more...]

Put Your Inbox on a Diet

New messageE-mail is supposed to help us save time, right?  So why do we waste so much time reading and writing e-mail?  In her post 10 Tips: My Personal Journey Toward Maintaining Inbox Zero, Dawn Foster shares sure-fire tips for handling, sorting and deleting e-mail (I’m going to start using Hiveminder from tip #4). Her complete post is worth checking out but if you only implement #1: archive or delete mercilessly, you’ll save time immediately.  Some of her other tips are:

  • Turn off notifications
  • Process in chunks
  • Unsubscribe

All in the Family Business

Will your kids follow in your business footsteps?

Will your kids follow in your business footsteps?

Did you know that nearly half of the folks who’ve started businesses had a parent who started a small business first? The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation released a report last summer that shows that “parents provide inspiration, financing and they teach you the ropes.”

A detailed article in USA Today highlights a few family-owned businesses that prove that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the entrepreneurial tree. Maybe it’s not too early to introduce your kids into the family business.

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