Ok, I love my little iPhone. That’s an established fact. But, there’s this one tiny thing that’s making me a bit battier than usual.

On my video iPod, I could set it up to play ALL my music videos (shuffled, even), and I can’t figure out how to do that on the iPhone. I can play the MUSIC from the music videos, but there’s no motion on the screen. I can do a playlist for regular songs too — but no videos. *sigh*

If there is any iPhone guru out there willing to share the (probably simple) method to accomplish this, please let me know. I can’t stand it when my music dies!

I just returned from a weekend at the farm with the kids. We managed to cover up all the graffiti on the building (although it’s going to require completely repainting the building to hide it completely).

I also talked with the man that does all my dozing and heavy work. He’s going to go bushhog the place for me this week and will do the annual work on the road (which is past due). (more…)

It’s been a few days since I’ve blogged. That’s unlike me, but I’ve been struggling to catch up on so many things. I finally took some time off to breathe a bit…

I went to check on my farm yesterday. I needed the break from work. I needed to see the farm again. I needed to be refreshed and rejuvenated from a long, difficult few weeks.

When I arrived, I noticed the gate was missing. This gate, shared by my neighbor and me, was taken off the hinges and had been stolen. What kind of people steal gates?

As I raced back to the farm, worried about what I might find, I hoped for the best. (more…)

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If I were starting my business now, with the benefit of the wisdom I’ve gained along the way, I would do a few things differently.

For instance, I’d select my ideal client type first. I wouldn’t try to serve everyone – or anyone – just to get a business started. I would have been pickier in the early, lean months despite my appetite for those first clients and I would have listened to my “gut” when it told me to decline a project.

I know now that if I’d done this one thing, that I’d have developed a healthy, sustaining and profitable online business faster… with far less pain.

I firmly believe that helping others is the best possible way to success. I’m a Karma girl. My business was built with a four-pillar foundation:

1. I maintained my faith in my own ability
2. I offered the best individualized service possible
3. I worked tirelessly (and didn’t give up even when things seemed hopeless)
4. I stayed abreast of new developments in my industry and my client industries

Recently, I asked some of my peers to share their best advice for those just starting out. I think you will enjoy the following wisdom from those who have “been there, done that” as full-time career outsourcing services providers.

Question: Who should begin this career? How can I know if it’s a good fit for me?

Answer: (Katie Baird of LooseEnds.net)

I guess the first thing I’d ask is: “How comfortable would you be with completely remodeling and building a house on your own?”

If you are able to juggle all those details, you would probably be a good candidate for this career path.

If you aren’t comfortable with that, if the thought of everything coming at you all at once makes you want to hide, you should probably consider keeping a more traditional job or remain a subcontractor and plan to assist other entrepreneurs rather than dealing directly with clients and building your own business.

Question: What do I need to know first?

Answer: (Karen Drebes of CoordinatorGroup.com)

You have to know the products and programs you plan to use to serve your clients. The more you know, the more money you will make and the less time it will take you to complete projects.

Educate yourself about what you want to provide. This career path is not a “wing-it” situation. You need to have the experience before offering services. You can’t learn on the clients time (or on their dime) and you have to bring something to their party.

You can’t just decide to go into business, hang out your virtual “shingle” without preparation and expect to make a living.

Question: How would you recommend I determine out what services to offer?

Answer: (JJ Murphy of WriterByNature.com)

Base your services on what you know and what you most love. I would recommend that you attempt to subcontract first to get an idea of what the industry standards are and what’s expected from you by successful peers and future clients.

This would also help you identify your strengths, your weaknesses and you get a “built in” mentor for the people that you are helping with overflow. It’s a great learning experience and helps you to build important professional relationships. In this way you can also find out what services are hard to secure and which ones are in highest demand in your choice industry.

Join a networking group of people who were already successful. That’s what I was told to do and it’s what I did – and that made all the difference.

Question: What should I know about selecting equipment for my office?

Answer: (Jeri Winkler of TheSecretAssistant.com)

Having the right equipment for your area of expertise is important. Since I do a lot of mailings, a good printer and paper folder are essential for me. Of course you need a good phone (which is easier said than done) and a good computer (one that is up-to-date, not something that’s a hand-me-down). Treat your business like a business from the beginning.

The one thing that I couldn’t live without now is my wireless router. Now I can take my laptop outside and work in my Gazebo or anywhere else in (or out of) the house – without dragging wires along behind me.

I work long hours and it’s difficult to sit at my desk all day long. The router makes me portable and comfortable.

Question: How can I fast-track myself for success as a new provider?

Answer: (Evy Williams of BrochuresByDesign.com)

Networking with other outsourcing providers and associations is the most important thing you can do. When I networked with others, my business bloomed.

Get your name out there and talk to people, volunteer, and stay visible to enjoy the quickest way to success. For me, it was like a domino effect and I am still feeling the effects of that from when I started four years ago!

Question: What else do I need to know to be successful?

Answer: (Judy Vorfeld of EditingAndWritingServices.com)

Know yourself. Know what you have to offer. Be passionate about your career and nail things down by analyzing yourself and your goals. Create a good business and marketing plan that projects 3-5 years into the future. Take the time required to promote your business, so others know you and know what you have to offer.

Networking is key. I’ve learned so much from fellow virtual assistants over the years and have done my part to help others. I’ve hired other VAs, have shared clients and have been hired by peers. These days, things are changing too fast for people to try and go it alone.

Be willing to analyze your target market, and then when you open for business, always give clients more than they expect. This is sometimes difficult, but there are always life lessons that may be of value later. Keep a good attitude at all times.

Continue to improve your skills and always make time for a balanced personal life… away from the office.

Question: What about pricing my services? Any suggestions on how to do make a real living as a virtual assistant?

Answer: (Lynne Norris of NorrisBusinessSolutions.com)

Don’t under price your services. In the beginning, I took work I didn’t really want for less money than I should have because I was desperate – or I thought I was. The problem was long term, because it’s difficult – and sometimes impossible – to get those early clients raised to a proper rate later.

I wish I had taken more time to determine a living wage from the beginning, that took into account the cost of doing business, the non-billable hours required to run the business and the actual value of the time I was spending to serve clients.

Don’t give up. These days, I turn away work, but it took almost four years for me to wise up and make the decision to work with only those people I adore and accept only those projects I really love.

Question: What about doing the books? Do I have to do them myself?

Answer: (Kimberley Thomas-Catanzaro of On-LineSecretary.com)

You need to be organized. You should not procrastinate in doing essential tasks, especially things like your books. If you don’t have the time or desire to do the tasks that need to be done, hire someone. Learn to delegate. Keep excellent records.

The biggest problem I see is people trying to do their books themselves, and (come tax time) it has to be reentered, recreated from scratch, or reviewed for errors – all under a time crunch.

Question: What’s the secret to being happy working as a VA or freelancer?

Answer: (Bronwyn Robertson of TheArtsVa.com)

Know your clients. That’s most important. You have to know who you plan to serve. Beyond that, my best advice is to set a livable wage and stick to it and make sure you have a good contract. And the one that was the toughest for me in the early years… always decline work that doesn’t appeal.

Question: How do I know if a client is a good match?

Answer: (Jodi Diehl of SunfrogServices.com)

Do an interview to make sure you are comfortable before entering into a relationship. Do not accept every project that walks in the front door. It’s ok to say no. No matter how hard it is to get clients in the beginning, you shouldn’t accept just any client. Success depends on synergy and compatibility.

Question: How can I make a living serving only those clients that “appeal” to me?

Answer: (George Montgomery of BusinessAndTaxPlanning.com)

Keep track of the income and where your clients and customers come from. Fill their needs and keep them happy. Determine your skills and make sure that they match.

If that’s not what you really want to do, transition your business to serve what you enjoy. Take the business where YOU want to go and do what YOU want to do.

We all hope our experiences will help you as you begin your own path as an entrepreneur. If you are ready to start your business, there’s no better time than now.

“Leap and the net will appear”
- Zen saying

WordPress is extremely user-friendly. If you have ever hand-coded or altered or edited any HTML, it’s a snap. If you haven’t — you really need the easy-to-use interface… like WP. And widgets improve the ease of use factor.

What’s a Widget?

Widgets are tiny programs, usually with specific functions that people add to their desktops or (in the case of WordPress) their websites.

What Do They Do That’s So Cool?

Widgets allow individuals to customize the look, feel and function of the chosen platform quickly, easily and (usually) without the need to touch a single line of code. Read this article about the general concept of widgets and how Coldwell Banker has a desktop version to show new listings in a tidy little package.

Do People Really Use These Things?

Comscore, a digital data tracking service, recently launched “Widget Matrix” to track widget saturation across the Internet. According to the report on widget popularity, the top ten most popular of these little snippet sized programs reached an audience of over 177 thousand unique visitors and in North America alone over 40% of all Internet users visited a website with a widget. The most popular type of widget? Photo-related (think randomized shots of your current listings with “click to view full description” capability).

How do I use them?

Widgets allow you “drag and drop” functionality in many cool features for your new WordPress site — and you can select those and install, activate and customize them yourself. It will give you the ability to be creative and to add new “stuff” without calling a webmaster.

It also gives you the ability to turn off, activate and move around your site’s content to your satisfaction. Once you get it the way you want it, a single click on the “save” button in the widget dashboard and it goes live!

How Do I Use Widgets on My WordPress Install?

First, select a pre-widgetized theme. If the theme you love doesn’t offer widget capability built-in, you can get it widgetized by a code-jockey or you can widgetize it yourself (which is what I did for mine).

Widget-Ready WordPress Themes

Download the WP Widget Ready Theme Pack (15 megs) of over 100 themes.

How to Use Widgets – a step by step guide for beginners

Widgetizing Your Own - http://automattic.com/code/widgets/themes/

Making your own Widgets

Finding Cool Widgets

http://www.widgetbox.com/

http://widgets.wordpress.com/

http://www.widgipedia.com/ - Widget supersite (but not for WP specifically)

Turning Plugins into Widgets – Here’s how!

Learn more about widgets:

How to keep widgets from slowing down your WordPress site

Real Estate Widgets:

http://www.thegoodblogs.com/wordpress_widget – the good blogs widget

http://patrick.bloggles.info/wpwidgets/ – several widgets offered here.

http://www.ozpolitics.info/blog/wordpress-plugins/#links – I like quite a few of these widgets — like the aggregate RSS feed widget (I need this for my own blogs).

Good Storm Widget for Sales on your Blog – http://mecommerce.goodstorm.com/blogwidgets

Category Replacement Widget

Clock Widget

Cluster Map Widget

Ok, I’ve HAD It… Time to Simplify! I seem to spend much of my time looking for the stuff that I recorded so I’d have it when I needed it.

I may simplify my physical life — constantly — but my virtual life is cluttered all to hell. There. I said it. I admit it. I’m a virtual packrat.

Since 1 gig of stuff is stored in the same physical space as 750 gigs, I’ve “reasoned” that I’m still simplifed. I’m just lying to myself. And I’ve been looking at buying more HD space because 1.5 terabytes isn’t enough.

How sad.

The fact is, I’ve had an epiphany. (Unlike some creative types, I still believe in that concept). Granted, the epiphany came as the result of personal frustration and total exhaustion, but it came all at once so, I’m sticking with the “epiphany” term.

It’s a horrible realization. It’s also joined by dozens of other, more specific realizations that I now have to confront and solve. For instance… (more…)

I tripped across the following site recently and found it quite interesting:

A web-based program to design your own widget-ready WP Theme on the fly. You may want to give it a whirl!

I finally signed up for Twitter. I’ll be investigating several options for ways to incorporate that type of “quick update” here on WickedBlog for those times when I’ve got a quick little something to say and I’m out and about with the iPhone.

I’m testing two iPhone Twitter options now: (more…)

Curious about the speed of your iPhone? Want to find out how it stacks up to other iPhone owners — to other areas in the EDGE network? Check your speed on an iPhone specific tiny speed test online.

Just for comparison… The average speeds for all ATT EDGE tests run between 121 and 138 kbits per second with 783 msec latency.

Mine tested out at a snails pace — sitting here in the middle of Lexington, KY: 85 kbps. Humph!

(Note: Image taken from Morguefile.com courtesy of photographer semacc.)

Here’s the press release for the event:

(Lexington, KY, USA) July 17, 2007 – Have you ever considered working for yourself? Want to know the truth about the virtual assistant industry? Want to know if it’s the right path for you? The outsourcing business is booming and solopreneurs are creating successful careers by marketing their skills online. RemoteProfessionals.com, (www.Remoteprofessionals.com), a networking organization for independent service providers, is hosting a free panel discussion teleconference event to answer questions of those new to the industry and those interested in learning more about this career path. (more…)

One of my favorite image “haunts” — www.MorgueFile.com – is offering a specially sized and selected collection of wallpapers for the iPhone.

Personally, I’ll stick with the WickedWordCraft one that I’m currently using, but if you are looking for something out of the ordinary for your own phone… you may want to check this out:

http://www.morguefile.com/iphone/

You can also select from the entire copyright free collection of images and size them yourself! I love morguefile.com and often use their images to brighten up my blogs! (You may have noticed).

After a recent move, I’ve had to re-evaluate the way I connect to the Internet. Before the move, I had DSL. It was pretty dreamy for a couple of years. It was especially nice after having survived with a satellite ISP for three years prior to the DSL connection.

The satellite was much faster than the old back-roads country dial up that I had – which topped out at 24K and often refused to work at all if there was a heavy dew. Rain didn’t affect it much, but dew and heavy humidity would knock it out completely.

Now I’m back looking at ISP options and was appalled to learn that my new city has a single ISP provider with a monopoly – and that provider sells out the service to other ISP providers – which keeps the prices inflated. In the first month on the “city” DSL I had two days of complete outage and other times of extreme creeping-slow service. My “country” DSL was bullet-proof. It was a much better product. With the latest move, I started looking for other options.

Satellite ISP: It’s Not All “Dishy”
I was seriously considering getting a satellite again – just so I can stay mobile. I could get it attached to my RV and pumping it out wirelessly from there for use inside the house or outside in my mobile office. I could take it with me when I moved back to the farm or stay connected while I did some traveling. It would be a final solution. It would be perfect!

Then I did a bit of research…

My former satellite service (on the farm) had stared to slow noticeably just before I moved to the location where DSL was available. I thought it was just me… that I’d become even more impatient than usual. But my favorite online speed test (http://performance.toast.net/) proved that wasn’t the case. It really WAS slower.

Now, according to user groups and forums web-wide, the continued overselling of satellite bandwidth without adding any additional infrastructure has created a “slower than dial up” status for many subscribers. (Slower than dial up at broadband prices? No thank you.) And the equipment is not cheap. Incidentally, the satellite dish I had two years ago is no longer “supported” by the ISP, so I’ll have to reinvest over $1200 to get what I already have replaced to hook up to satellite again – if I don’t want it mounted on the RV. Mobile mounting really shoots the cost up.

Cable is Constricted
Cable, the other local option, is experiencing the same issues as satellite – at least in my market. Although not as dramatic as what’s happening with the Satellite ISPs, cable is being speed-throttled because all users in a geographic area share a common bandwidth. The bigger the subdivision, the more pronounced the problem, but even the less populated areas are noticing a speed and service lull according to my techie sources in town.

Maybe, since I work primarily during the day, my cable wouldn’t be too choked. The children would be at school and the majority of adults would be at work – using their company’s ISP – so maybe I could rearrange my work schedule a bit to facilitate better upload and download speeds for client work.

But, the fact is… I don’t want to. I want to have full and unfettered access to the Internet any time I get the urge. I’m spoiled. I’m demanding. I want fast Internet access!

Wringing Out the (Cell Phone) Waves
I used my wireless 3G cell phone SIM card in my computer during the transition period while DSL was being hooked up two months ago. It wasn’t a pleasant option. It was better than no option, but only marginally. I could work, but the speed was frustratingly sluggish and I had to abandon any attempts to perform multi-media downloads (which I do often — when I have the capacity). And the cost per month for this sub-standard data option? $60 over and above my cell phone plan, the cost of the “aircard” and let’s not forget taxes.

Wireless Webs Aren’t Woven in Kentucky
Here, there’s no news of the in-town wireless LAN options that I read about in other, more progressive, communities. It is my understanding that they also get throttled, but at least the cost is commensurate with the service. Many areas are offering community wireless LAN access for free or at an extremely low cost. A few of those available worldwide are listed here: http://wiki.personaltelco.net/index.cgi/WirelessCommunities.

Informationweek.com offers a glimpse into where the wireless web options are now, and where things are headed.

Alternative Options… It Costs HOW Much?!?!
The only other option I’ve investigated is a pricey one. There is a business-quality dedicated satellite ISP that doesn’t get “choked down” via overselling – at least that’s what the company representative tells me. But the snag is the cost.

I called a “business satellite specialist” and was told that my bill will come in at $13,000 for the installation I’d need to run a business quality dish on my RV. And then there is the monthly fee, ranging from $179 per month up to $599 per month. PER MONTH! This is not a viable option for most small business owners, IMHO. It’s not viable for me right now.

If you are interested in learning more about mobile (read expensive) options for business, visit: http://www.mobilsat.com/ or http://www.groundcontrol.com.

In conclusion, I see no real options other than DSL (which currently has me on the back end of a 12-day wait for service) or taking my chances with the bandwidth available through cable. Even DSL is subject to dramatic fluctuations in quality of service, depending on where you live.

I live in Kentucky, a state ranked 32 in the line-up for ISP onramp and download speeds. Rhode Island, the top ranked state, is over five times faster than South Dakota, nearly ten times as fast as Alaska and is over three times as fast as my own state. Check out the broadband statistics on your own state.

With the current lack of viable options and an ever-increasing demand for Internet access I can only imagine what it will be like in a few more years as the lag in the infrastructure and broadband service in the USA becomes even more evident.

According to current reports, the median download speed in the USA is just under 2 megabits per second, whereas in Japan, the median is over 60 megabits. Discouraging isn’t it? How will those of us who work on the web in the states compete online with substandard broadband?

It’s a serious concern for those who live and work online. It’s time to push for real alternatives. Not later, but now.

The energy and enthusiasm of youth is amazing. It utilizes the leverage, strength, and sheer “force of will” to grow, mature and eventually to become self-sufficient. The same is true of your small business.

You watched in awe as your business grew. (Never mind the lack of sleep and the volume of work you endured to make it happen). Every tiny success made you work harder and kept you moving forward.

Then you were breaking even (or maybe even making a small profit) but the business needed your constant, careful guidance. Later, you were forced to endure a stretch of “business adolescence” complete with the inevitable identity crisis.

You were forced to make difficult decisions about the direction your business should take. You knew benign neglect wouldn’t work and even your focused diligence didn’t prevent some small details from wiggling out of your grasp. There was so much to juggle!

Now the business isn’t quite so needy. Finally, it has matured enough that you don’t have to tend it 24/7 and you are officially playing with the “big boys.” A mature business obtains the power of experience, professionalism and polish.

Showcasing these traits makes your business more appealing to the best clients and helps you to secure your place in your industry. It’s time your business “dress” for success… I’ll show you how in five easy steps! (more…)

Ok, I admit it looks a little rough — but I work with what I have — the important part is that it was quick and fun to create this little multi-media mini-me. If you want to do the same, visit www.Gizmoz.com.

We have been teasing Alexzandria for some time about being the only one in the family that doesn’t have an iPod. She noted that fact first, mind you, we just hammered on it a bit.

For quite some time I have known she would be getting an iPod the first time one of our existing ones was replaced with the next generation.

She had no clue, however.

I held onto my 60 gig for a bit after getting my iPhone… and then I finally released my death-grip.

That happened on Sunday evening when I handed over my own iPod to my hubby (who had been coveting it for some time). He, in turn, gave me his 30 gig so I could wipe it and rename it and get it ready for Alex. (more…)

VintageToonCast - the best of the old cartoons – think Bugs Bunny and the Airplane Gremlins — here for free. So you think that today’s cartoons are violent, not calm and sweet like the ones we grew up with? Think again. A fresh look at the old classics may make you rethink your stance. Or, it may make you show them to your kids (like I did) :O) Get it direct or get it on iTunes. (more…)

I recently found a great, inclusive frequently asked questions list for the new iPhone. If you are considering buying an iPhone, and want to be an informed consumer, you may want to consider reading this FAQ first!

I’ve now moved for the second time in as many months. Not just a few things, mind you, but my entire household. I’ve learned a few things:

• You fill the space you have — even if you only have it for a short time
• Children have way more “stuff” than you think (times three or four)
• People don’t understand when you move you are certifiable — and probably should be locked up for your own safety and the safety of others
• Trying to tell people how they can help is often more difficult than doing it alone
• Making decisions is the third item on my “Things I Hate” list, immediately after landlords that lie and moving
• I’m not intended to be a renter: I’m too old, too set in my ways and too worried about things being delivered when I pay for them (besides, paying for substandard stuff makes me crazy when I have a farm that’s not substandard and is already mine)
• What I really want to do is have a HUGE yard sale, pack the essentials in Serenity and hit the road… enough of this already! (more…)

I wanted to be sure I could take my calendar information with me on my iPhone. Since I’m not a Microsoft Outlook user anymore, I had to find another way to sync up my information.

Recently, the latest calendar plug-in for Thunderbird (Lightning) was released and after the upgrade, I also added this Thunderbird plugin to allow bi-directional updates to Google Calendar directly from my Lightning calendar. (more…)

There are a few things missing on this little baby…

Portrait option on playing movies and video content – when it’s in the little stand on my desk, I’d like to see Pink singing upright – even if that means I don’t get the benefit of the larger, amazing screen.

The ability to launch the little keyboard – so I can type where I like (even if the iPhone doesn’t recognize my ability to do so). Kind of like an Apple override button, assuming I know more about what I want than the phone does (can you tell this frustrates me?).

The ability to scroll in a form box on a website – so I can blog and fill out and edit forms on my iPhone. (more…)