Archive for December, 2010

Newton introduced three laws of motion.

Now, in the modern business world, we should be adding a fourth: A company in business won’t stay in business unless it learns to grab hold of motion.

The world of mobile phones, data, and applications is surging with possibilities. Here are seven must-have apps to keep you on top of your business no matter where you are.

1. Evernote

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Evernote is an application that lets you capture anything and everything and store it to your phone — and, simultaneously, to your desktop. Store voice notes, text, images, and more, then organize them using the powerful label and search technologies of the Evernote platform. Especially useful is the fact that snapshots you take of text documents will turn into searchable content, thanks to Evernote’s optical character recognition technologies.

2. Instapaper

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Even the best networks don’t have web access everywhere. If you want to be able to store reference materials for offline use, Instapaper is one of the best options around. You can easily grab information from the web and store it for easy access from your phone.

3. Mint

Mint isn’t just a budgeting program — it’s a financial advisor in the palm of your hand. This powerful little app will keep track of your accounts, provide you with reports and budgeting information, and it does it all automatically.

4. Gmail

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I know what you’re saying. “REALLY? You included Gmail?” Well listen up. Gmail is the industry leader for web mail programs, and that’s not for no reason. Advanced labeling, filtering, search, archiving, anti-spam, and the ability to handle multiple accounts in one inbox make it the most powerful free email program on the market.

Gmail’s free app is just as strong, and all the features remain intact.

5. Line2


Line2 comes with a $10/month subscription fee, but what it gives you provides well more than that in value. You get a second line that allows you to make calls using WiFi, your carrier’s 3G network, or your carrier’s normal phone service network. It comes with all the features of a normal phone line and many, many more.

6. DropBox

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Few groups have used cloud computing as effectively as DropBox. Now they’re bringing that utility to your mobile device. DropBox lets you sync the data between different computers and, now, your phone. You can retrieve the files you’ve synchronized on the impressive DropBox cloud server, add new files for synchronization with your other work platforms, and make modifications to your DB files using other mobile phone apps.

7. myPhoneDesktop

If you want to get text data from your computer to your phone as easily as possible, the myPhoneDesktop application is the way to go. It costs five whole dollars for permanent purchase, and allows you to easily send phone numbers, text snippets, full documents, and even images from your desktop or laptop computer to your mobile device.

These fantastic apps are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to capturing the world of mobility. Continue to explore the hundreds of thousands of apps on the market to find more solutions for your business.

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Here is a great idea for you, me and everyone else. Saving money. No, it does not actually seem easy to save money in this economy, but the truth is, there are deals and discounts all around you. If you want to save money, there are different options to consider. You can start clipping coupons from the Sunday paper, printing coupons from the Internet, browsing online to find deals, or going to websites like Offers.com to find out about discount codes, coupons and other discounts all around the internet.

Many big box retailers are overpriced by nature, but there are deals, discounts and coupons out there that significantly reduce their prices, allowing you to squeak by financially with extra money in your pocket. If you work diligently to shop around and find out what deals are out there, you are going to save some money. The more time that you put into this process, the more you are going to benefit in return. It really is as simple as this. It may take some time to master this process, but anyone can do it.

Saving money is essential in this economy. You can put all the money that you save into a separate bank account every week and watch it pile up. Keep this money for a rainy day, a special occasion or to offset costs in a financial emergency, and you will suddenly find yourself glad that you learned how to save some money when you end up putting your savings to some truly good use. A little bit of money saving can go a long way if you are diligent about it, and if you try to save a few cents or a few dollars on every purchase, then it is absolutely going to add up to a grand savings over time.

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The competition for entry into the MBA program at a prestigious university can be fierce. Many people who have been successful in the business world see an MBA as the key to an executive-level promotion and a significantly higher paycheck.

Before you start the application process, take a look at a few common mistakes that many applicants make:

Trying to Fit the MBA Mold

There simply isn’t a one-size-fits-all model for the MBA student. If you can demonstrate that you have the potential to perform well in a MBA program, this is just as good as if you’ve had years of high-level business experience. After all, this is a degree program, not a job application.

Concentrating Solely on Business Experience
By telling the admission board a little bit about your interests and past activities, you will stand out from the crowd and demonstrate that you follow through on the parts of your life you feel strongly about. Whether you have climbed Mt. Everest, helped build a Habitat for Humanity house, or played in a local band, let them know. Contrary to popular thought, MBA programs aren’t looking for workaholics or bookworms.

Not Helping the Person Writing A Recommendation
Many applicants get a little nervous about asking for a letter of recommendation. Once the person says yes, don’t leave them to their own devices when it comes time to craft the actual letter. While most mean well, they may not be specific or remember to include everything you would like. As a thank you for writing the letter, invite them to lunch and outline what you would like them to say. Not only will this make the process easier for them, it will also increase your chances of receiving a thoughtful letter that meets your needs.

Rushing the Application Process
If you rush through the paperwork to beat an approaching deadline, it will definitely show, and a sloppy application could indicate to the review board that you’re not serious about their program. Whether your college application includes spelling errors, grammar mistakes or poor word choices, your true potential won’t shine through a shoddy application.

Arriving at the Interview Unprepared

Although you’ve poured your heart out on the written application about why you want to be a part of this MBA program, the review board will want to hear it in your own words. To prevent tripping over your own tongue and sounding nervous, practice the interview process with a friend. However, don’t go overboard. The goal is to sound natural, not rehearsed. Above all else, you want to give original answers instead of a canned response that has been heard a million times before. The review board won’t be impressed if they feel you’re only repeating what you think they want to hear.

While you’ll always want to highlight your abilities, you should present a true and accurate picture of yourself during the application process. Being accepted into the MBA program is a tremendous opportunity, but you don’t want to waste your time and money on a course of study that isn’t a good fit.

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What are you doing to promote your business? Are you paying for banners and sending out emails or are you still using the print and television medium?

Various businesses, small and large, are using blogs to increase their business awareness hence improving their customer base. Advertising and promotional costs can run high, but there is always a simpler and cheaper solution.

Think of creating a blog as your advertising medium. There are several major blog sites available and with a little research you can find something that caters to your need. Commonly used blog sites such as Google Blogger and WordPress provide a free and easy to use service that is both efficient and easily searchable. Here are some little known reasons to help you determine if blogging is the way to go, for your business.

  1. Creating global awareness without having to venture into the foreign market or spending any additional penny on further advertising. Blogs are live on the World Wide Web, so they easily appear under search results.
  2. Major blog sites are free to create, update, upload and maintain, and a majority of the cost associated is your time.
  3. Free plug-ins, such a Contact Form 7, can be easily used can help you manage your brand image, new leads, contacts, forms, and important emails from your site. Use the free contact form plug-ins, to receive important information from your potential customers.
  4. Blogs are much friendlier than direct approach methods. Customers are tired of constantly being interrupted with marketing and blogs can provide that same information to the customer without the annoyance.
  5. Blogs can be tracked easily and linked to other blogs. Search engines such as Google are known to include blogs in searches, so you have a better chance of increasing hits to your site.
  6. Brand building is simplified with the help of a blog. It’s more than just word-of-mouth or direct marketing and helps provide your target customers with that additional information they need to become brand loyal.
  7. Use blogging as a communication tool to provide your customer with information regarding your product and service. Become a friend to your customer rather than a supplier. Customers will feel more aware of your business through your blog and be able to communicate with you easily. They are always looking for a way to communicate with suppliers without any hassle.
  8. Use your blog as a research method by letting your customer review your products and leave you feedback. Most often this will help you in determining whether a product or service is worth launching or requires further improvement.
  9. There are many free WordPress themes available that can be found in the WordPress Theme directory. Some examples?

Business Turnkey-

Download

Several3-

Download

These are just 9 of the many ways you can improve your sales, corporate image, customer base, and brand loyalty.

Informative and interactive blogs not only help your potential customer but with the various free plug-ins available, it will help you automate information which you might not think was otherwise possible. Over 25 million people are using free blogs such as WordPress, so what is stopping you? After all, there is no harm in trying something new without worrying about capping your budget.

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