Mar 26

Top 10 Affordable Tools for Small Business Owners #10 CamCard

Want to get organized, save time and be more productive? The apps, gadgets and websites I’ll be highlighting in this series will get you on the road to doing just that. Please take note, these are by no means paid endorsements…they appear on this list based solely on personal experience and/or recommendations from fellow small business owners.

CamCard mobile app: The fastest, easiest way to scan, enter, store, manage and share your business cards! Use your smartphone’s camera to “scan” a business card, add the information to your contacts and sync card data across devices. I tried several business card scanner apps for my Android and found this one to have the best recognition technology. The free version limits users to saving 200 cards.  Available for Android ($11.99 for full version), iPhone (full version is $2.99), Blackberry ($9.99 for full version) and Windows Mobile (the pro version for Windows Mobile also appears to be free).  So get rid of that shoebox full of business cards and get CamCard!!

Share This...

Mar 23

Are You in Love with What You’re Doing?

“No person who is enthusiastic about his work has anything to fear from life. All the opportunities in the world are waiting to be grasped by people who are in love with what they’re doing.”  –Samuel Goldwyn

I am absolutely IN LOVE with what I’m doing, so much so that it never really seems like “work” to me.  I “work” evenings and weekends when necessary, and never ever pout about it.  When I head to my home office, I even make the air quotes when I tell my husband I’ve got “work” to do.  Do you feel this passionate about what you do in your small business or organization?  What is your favorite aspect of what you do?

Share This...

Mar 21

Procrastination is Just Another Word for “Don’t Wanna”

fighting procrastination concept - do it phrase on color sticky notes posted on a cork bulletin board

procrastinate [proh-kras-tuh-neyt]: to defer or delay (action).

Dally.  Dawdle.  Drag one’s feet.  Give the run around.  Hesitate.  Hold off.  Let it slide.  Loiter.  Lollygag. Postpone.  Stall.  No matter how we say it, it all means the same thing…we’re still just prolonging the inevitable!

Why?  Why do we put off things we know need doing?  Laundry.  Blogging.  Scrubbing the floor.  Building a website.  Designing new marketing materials.  Tweeting.  Email marketing.  Filing.

It may be because we might have to learn a new skill or improve on existing ones.  We may feel we don’t have the time to devote to doing it ‘just right’.  In many cases, though, it simply comes down to ‘don’t wanna’.  Yet, tackling those things (or acquiring assistance to tackle those things) can free your mind from the distraction of knowing those things are not getting done by themselves.  Freeing your mind from that distraction can, in turn, open you up to new possibilities, revitalize you, get your creative juices flowing again.  Why weigh yourself down with those aspects of your business that do not light you up?  DELEGATE!

Explore for yourself why you procrastinate on certain things.  In business, if it comes down to ‘don’t wanna’ and it has gotten to the point that it is holding you back from progress and success, it’s time to hand it off – bring in a cleaning person, hire an employee, contract with a web designer or virtual assistant.  Do something to release yourself from the chains of ‘don’t wanna’!
spacer your-two-cents2

Here’s your opportunity to put in your two cents!


What are the biggest things YOU tend to procrastinate over??

 

teach-to-fish-give-a-fish_blogAward-winning web professional Bonny Clayton, aka Your Web Chick, offers web design, support and maintenance for small business, with a specialty in WordPress.

A Tech Geek with a Creative Streak℠, she helps small business owners and entrepreneurs everywhere establish and maintain their online presence. She is committed to serving them according to their needs, whether that means “giving them a fish” or “teaching them to fish”.

Share This...

Mar 19

Immediate, Guaranteed Search Engine Rankings!

page_rankI stumbled on this meaty little tidbit on Manta.com and thought it was important enough to repost.  So many small business owners are taken in by promises of page 1 Google rankings and immediate results, so they pay exorbitant fees to get on board.  But sink your teeth into this (boldface mine):

Investing in SEO? Shop Around

When selecting an SEO provider, you’ll find there are a lot of them, but not all offer the same services – or results. Look for an expert, ideally someone with experience in your industry. And don’t expect immediate results. SEO is a process that builds upon itself and can take time to show value. If someone promises you immediate results or guaranteed rankings, be concerned.

Share This...

Mar 15

Time Has Died

On this eve of the weekend, I wanted to share this tidbit…I couldn’t have said this any better myself. Don’t waste a minute. Thanks for the reminder, Paul!

Time Has Died.

Share This...