With the economy being what it is, we are all budgeting a bit more carefully. Saving money and eliminating waste have become matters of fiscal need for many small business owners.

Making more money isn’t necessarily as important as making the right amount of money and saving whenever possible. Buying in bulk may no longer be the best way to save. Eliminating the need may pay bigger dividends. Elimination of debt in your business is as important as eliminating it in your personal life during “lean” economic times.

Scale back if you must, but don’t go into debt for your business. Pay as you go and weigh all the options carefully before any major (or minor) purchase. Barter and trade for services with your peers. Consider buying reconditioned and pre-owned items when that’s feasible. Check eBay, Craigslist and your local classifieds before buying new.

Sell the things you don’t need and eliminate the time, money and hassle of storage, give away items using FreeCycle, or offer them to your peers and/or startup folks who may need or want them.

During difficult times, the help you give others and the pulling together as a local or online community can make all the difference. And, as a client told me not too long ago…

We are the entrepreneurs. We are the survivors. We are able to recreate ourselves as the market changes to come out on top.

So while other people may have to worry about if they will have a job… we need only consider how we will maintain our edge and better serve the market as it grows, shrinks, evolves and changes. After all, it’s what we do, it’s what we have always done.

Google Apps is a “software as service” option for small (and large) businesses. My favorite feature is a paid version of Gmail. It’s worth the $50 per year I’m spending to use it. (I don’t really use the other features, except for the calendar.)

You may wonder, especially during these interesting economic times, why I would want to pay for something that I could get for free…

Simple. Because you can’t brand typical Gmail. Sure, you can “sort of” brand it by placing your business name before the @gmail part and you can set it up to “send on behalf of” your business email, but it’s still got the stigma of a freebie account. It makes you look like you are less than serious about your business.

I only wish the cool Glabs stuff available for Gmail would be made available on a quicker schedule for Google Apps. That’s a bit bothersome.

You get much MUCH more space with a Google Apps account. Google Apps offers 25 gigs for a paid account, whereas Gmail only offers 5 gigs.You can easily upload all your email accounts to this one place, and enjoy the benefits of an archive of all emails from all time.

The apps version allows you to change the CNAME records on your hosting account so you can send from Gmail and “originates” from your website domain. Not an simple automatic setup, but once you do the steps, it’s bulletproof.

The joys of Gmail are many. It’s got a kickin’ search feature (you would expect no less from Google, right?).

You may, like me, be one of those “nested folders” people with your email. That’s “old-school” once you have Gmail or Google apps. With creative use of tags and the search, there’s no need… in fact now WAY… to use folders anymore. That may rock your email world for the first few days, but you quickly begin to wonder why in the HECK you had all those folders within folders and how you ever found anything that way.

I keep a backup of my mail on my computer by using the download feature (without removing the items from the Google server) into my resident mail program. I don’t send and receive from that resident program, but I know that I have a backup of all my mail, should something unforseen happen. Within just a few minutes I could re-upload it all.

I like web apps, but I’d not want to rely on them without a personal backup. I’m just too paranoid for that.

My iPhone is set up to fetch my email and I can send and receive with ease, while on the go. I use Google Apps mail as my primary contact management database too and pull down a copy in vcard format once a month as a backup.

The nice thing about using Google Apps is that you end up with a branded email that isn’t tied to a particular host, a particular computer or a particular operating system. Universal email is now on tap from anywhere! And when you work remotely, that’s really nice. It’s good to be mobile and flexible. Once you have a connection to the Internet — ANY connection to the Internet — you have access to your email and your contacts.

I’ve tried, tested and used a plethora of email programs, services and software over the years. I can’t imagine changing to anything else. Google apps mail trumps the competition. It’s just too convenient, mobile friendly, and too easy to search to have any real competition right now!

(Photo courtesy of seabreeze)

I’m working on getting all my ducks in a row, now… before December 31st. I’ve taken the opportunity to do so while I’m feeling all “under the weather” lately. I had to do something to help me feel better (and when I’m sick, even taxes don’t really make me feel any worse!)

I’m making sure I have copies of all my receipts and am organizing all my invoices and proofs of payment. I’m getting all those notes with mileage pulled together in one place (yeah, I know I should have KEPT them more organized, but I didn’t). Oh well.

It is my hope, that on January 2nd, I’ll be able to stick my taxes in the mail. Yeah, I really know how to party! I really know how to ring in the New Year. Whoo-Hooo!

But, by starting now, I’ve got a goal that will actually reduce my stress at the beginning of the year instead of postponing it. I despise the paperwork and the hassle… but I’m really excited about making it end early this year… err… next year.

I just switched over from Accessline to Kall8 for my 800 number. I wanted to save a few bucks and I read all their online materials. It looked like a good move. Since 1-800-WICKED-8 is one I’ve had for forever, I wanted to retain it. I like it. It’s cool. So, it was worth trouble to fill out and fax the forms and wait for the transfer to retain it.

Now I have Kall8 and today, I try to get my first fax. Uh-oh…

After five calls (all of which charged me, of course) I discovered that unlike the previous service, Kall 8 doesn’t differentiate between a fax and a voice call. Result? I get fax calls forwarded to my main line, which then forwards to my cell.

I try to log on, using my welcome email. It says to save it, since it has the login information I’ll need. Only problem is… it doesn’t have it. It’s not on there anywhere!

So, I call support.

I’m cut off after ten minutes of hold time… TWICE. (Now, I’m agitated.)

They do call back fairly quickly, however, and tell me that the only way to make that work is to set the account to zero settings… meaning I get no voice calls either. She tells me if I need both, I should get a second 800 number. (Kinda negates the whole “all-in-one” concept, doesn’t it?) *sigh*

I had looked through the website and saw nothing indicating this little issue. So, I asked where that information was listed online, or in any correspondence I’d received. She confirmed that it wasn’t on the website. (Isn’t that nice?) I sent her the email I’d received. She couldn’t find my login info on there either, so she gave it to me.

I request to be transferred to a supervisor and (of course) had to leave a message.

Assistant Manager, Craig Becker, calls me back late that afternoon. I explain my concerns and tell him how inconvenient it is to have to log into the website, move my rings to zero seconds, wait for a fax, then log back in and bump it back up so I can get voice calls.

He says I can try setting it to 10 seconds and just don’t pick up the phone when I’m expecting a fax. I told him that I would not have switched to this service if I’d had this, very important, information beforehand. He said there was no way for them to know what every user might need and to cover that in the marketing materials.

I feel that this is rather important since his competition offers this automatically. He also said that he had no idea what his competitors were offering. I said, “You don’t keep up with what features your competition offers?” (this seems incredible to me, but what do I know?) He said no.

Hmmm…

And it’s not exactly false advertising, since you can have voice and fax on the same number, just as long as you don’t expect it to be handled like other services handle it. Theirs is a manual system. I miss not having to even think about the difference, much less juggle the two call types and determine if I need to answer the phone or check the caller ID to determine if it’s a client or a fax.

The settings are now changed to 10 seconds on my account. This might work, might not, since it’s forwarded to my main number. We shall see. I’ll give it a little while to see if it’s worth the hassle to switch back. I never had a problem with Accessline, BTW. Great customer support too… but a stiffer cost per month.

So, if you are planning to move to another service (not just Kall8) and expect that you will be able to use it for both your fax and voice (which you may be accustomed to doing), be sure to ask that question specifically.

If you don’t, you may be enjoying the same view I’m gazing over at the moment. *grimace*

It’s not so pretty from here.

(Note: Cool phonebooth photo courtesy of Grafixar on MorgueFile.com)

If you are working with limited space, you can still enjoy a full featured office. Home office technology and the ability to “go paperless” dramatically reduces the physical space needed to do your work. The first rule in working and living in small spaces is to eliminate everything that isn’t essential and organize everything that is. Aside from that, I’ve assembled the following list of essentials for a well-appointed tiny office.

Low-profile computer

I, of course, love my iMac. But, there are many little computers that don’t sacrifice features or function to enjoy a substantial amount of screen real estate while maintaining a dainty footprint. If you prefer a laptop, your tiny office will love you for it!

Go wireless

The fewer wires you have to string about, the happier you will be. The new bluetooth keyboards and mice won’t even require a dongle if your computer is bluetooth equipped. Printers now come wireless and network ready — without a huge pricetag. Using one printer for all computers in the house simplifies life.

All-in-one data scanner/printer solution

Once a week (if you aren’t a “daily” type) you should empty your inbox, scanning in anything that you need to keep and filing it in a software filing program (or in your own system of nested files). Keep only those items you are legal bound to retain. Scan and file those and discard the rest.

Go for quality

Don’t skimp on the quality of your keyboard, don’t accept a less than perfect height desk, and buy the best, most ergonomically sound desk chair you can afford. Buy a good headset for your computer. In addition to making it easier to utilize the cost-effective VOIP options, it will also keep your conversations a bit more private if you are sharing close-quarters with others.

Save your eyes

Make sure you have excellent general lighting as well as task lighting in your office. Squinting at the screen isn’t a good way to spend your day. If you can manage to position your desk so that you can gaze out a window, you will allow your eyes a much needed “mini-vacation” during the course of each day. A few minutes gazing outside and focusing on items in the distance will prevent eyestrain and headaches.

Desk Accessories – A listing of my personal essentials

• Stapler (and refills)
• Weighted tape dispenser
• Three hole punch
• Mechanical pencil (with extra lead)
• Ink pen (a good quality roller ball or a fountain pen)
• Bar-style or other eraser (Papermate “black pearl” oval erasers are nice)
• Paper clips
• Ruler or a small tape measure
• Highlighter
• Sharpies (Black in medium and fine tips)
• Garbage can
• An inbox and an out box
• Stack of index cards (or a note pad if you prefer)
• Microfiber monitor/screen cleaning cloth

Stationery

• Notecards (preferably customized with your business name or monogram)
• Business cards
• Stamps (save yourself the hassle and buy the “forever” variety)
• Printer Paper
• Standard Envelopes
• Return address labels
• Small notepad or stack of index cards

Data storage

Two thumbdrives (one for work stuff, one for personal items) This eliminates the need for most CDs and DVDs and is a much more earth-friendly way to handle your data. It also conserves your office space.
Two external hard drives (one for onsite backups, one for offsite backup storage)

How to handle sticky and space-hogging items

Software disks and manuals can become cumbersome. First, sort through all the ones you currently have and discard/donate any that are outdated or that you no longer use. For those still in use, store a copy of the disk on your computer and back it up to your external hard drives and store the original copies in a less convenient location.

This will keep your office clear, without risking a loss due to a hard drive crash. It will also make it easier to get a new computer up and running by keeping all your software install info in one central location.

• Have one folder for each type of software disk copy (Utilities, Games, Productivity, Graphic Arts, Music, Video, etc.)
• Use a password program (like KeePassX) to store your software activation numbers, purchase information, etc.
• Keep a folder of ebooks on your computer and label one “Users Manuals” – most disks now come with a PDF version of the manual (and those that don’t usually have a version available online.)

NOTE: Be sure, if you go paperless, that you backup your hard drive no less than once a week and keep that copy offsite (safety rule-of-thumb is 50 miles from your home office). Another option is to use one of the smaller hard drives and place it in your safety deposit box. If you use two drives and rotate them, it will be easy to drop one off and pick up the other any time you are out anyway.

Wrapping that makes sense

Internet superstore, Amazon recently announced that they were offering recycled “frustration free” packaging for some of their top selling items this holiday season. This is one of the company-wide initiatives to be a bit more eco-sensitive. Aside from being eco-friendly, it also promises to reduce “wrap rage” this season, so we can all rest a bit easier.

Wood is the new metal

I just bought a couple new leather cases for my iPhone (the price was hard to resist — $6.00 for each one, complete with my personalized engraving on the back of each — thrown in for free!) I was feeling pretty good about my purchase until I saw a wooden, laser engraved iPhone case by Miniot out of Holland. Now, you will need to be prepared to pay alot of green to be THIS green with your iPhone… but isn’t it so pretty? I may be salivating over that one for awhile.

Even computers are showing up with wooden chassis — and some of those are easily renewable bamboo rather than hardwood. But a few (like the Asus) are discovering that function has to come before form. Asus had to rescind this bold, green move due to overheating issues. The newer model has just a bit of bamboo trim, and underpowered cpu and an inflated price.

You can also get bamboo keyboards, bamboo monitors and even a bamboo mouse.

Conserve by Comsuming Less

I’ve been watching the independent builders mod out uber-low power tiny boxes that allowed computers to run on itty bits of energy, but the pet project of the uber-geeks has now gone mainstream. Dell has come out with a “hybrid” computer that is low power (70% lower) and low profile for a greener office.

It even has a wooden cover option if you want to LOOK as green as you are. It’s all about recycled… from packaging to the “system recycling kit” for when you are finished with the computer. It’s also just a little larger than a standard external hard drive for easy grab-and-go options. It’s pretty easy on the eyes, too.

Do Your Part:

One of the biggest consumers of energy in your home office is that big, widescreen monitor. It’s nice not to squint, isn’t it? But setting your monitor to go off when not in use and powering down your hard drives and hibernating your computer after just a few moments of inactivity can also add up.

Even something as simple as using Blackle (a dark, energy saving version of Google) as your homepage and yoru primary search page will save quite a bit of energy over Google’s standard bright white page. (They claim over 900,000 watt hours have been saved through its use so far).

I tend to worry about things over which I have no control. It makes life more drama-filled than necessary. It makes parenting challenging. Heck, sometimes it makes breathing difficult!

Riding the economy’s roller coaster is a white-knuckled, teeth-clenching experience these days… especially THIS day.

It shook me today. I’ve been preparing for a “recession/depression” for several months. My debt load is probably lower than most peoples’ — but I still have debt. (I hate being in debt.) I live simply. I don’t have extravagant tastes. That all helps me to make it as a solopreneur.

My client-base is primarily real estate and that industry has been hard-hit of late. I don’t work with those new to the industry. My clients are the established, knowledgeable, experienced portion of the market. So when MY clients are feeling the pinch — it’s serious. When my clients go from immediate pay to 30/60 days, I get concerned.

But, for those entrepreneurs out there that are starting to worry, I’d like to share some sage advice from one of my clients (complete with my interpretation). I won’t identify the client because he admitted “I’m scared too” and that admission may alarm his agents. He said, “I’m scared too, Angela, but you are in a good place and so am I… we owe little and are not at the mercy of a big corporation for our weekly check. If it’s not working, we will reinvent ourselves!”

I took that information and sat on it awhile this afternoon. While I watched the stock market climb back up to a reasonable level (back above 10,000 for the DOW), I pondered the implications of what he said.

He’s right. As entrepreneurs, we are able to make adjustments, look for opportunities and jump on them in a way that others can’t. We do have the flexibility to “reinvent” ourselves, to refine our vision, or to completely rebuild our set of goals.

Another client commented (sometime last week) that there would always be work for someone who was knowledgeable in their field. He said the economic slow down would do two things: Clear out the “chaff” from his industry (real estate) and create an even stronger demand for my own services. He said, “People who need help will be less willing to offer work to those who are unproven and those who are less talented.”

Although his compliments made me blush at the time (and offer me an opportunity to brag a bit now), the fact is… when money is tight, you go for the “sure thing” in business and in personal decisions.

So if you are an established provider, there really isn’t a reason to worry. It may get interesting for awhile, but we will be fine. It may help to remember that these issues aren’t an issue for a particular country, they are world-wide.

We are participating in a global economy and no country will be its own little universe again. What happens from here on out will cause ripples across all oceans. That’s something that I find both comforting and alarming. It requires thinking about my tiny little business on a much bigger scale.

For those new to the industry, make friends with the “old hands” and show your stuff. The best way to land work in tough times is through the recommendation of trusted providers, subcontracting and concentrating on your best offerings.

If you aren’t advertising your niche or special skills, do it. If you haven’t established a short list of your best service offerings, there’s never been a better time. Choose them, communicate them and make sure they are “front and center” on your business website.

Just because there is a sluggishness in the economy does not mean we can afford it in our businesses. Now is the time to work harder and rise faster. These are the times when opportunities arise and disappear quickly.  Be ready.

And remember, in this era when mega-corporations are failing and floundering and drowning… you have the reins of your business. Here, at least, you have a choice on how your income is made and how your bottom line reads. Small businesses are the backbone of economies — we work even when others don’t.

(Photo from MorgueFile.com by MarkeMark.)

Until recently, I found it exhausting to juggle all the online “faces” of me. The social networking thing was just completely out of control. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been evaluating where I spend my online time (socially speaking) and where I enjoy being the most.

I wanted to do the 80/20 thing on social networking (the same way I’ve tried to apply it to other portions of my life). What I didn’t expect was to get all tied up with a massive time-suck while doing so. But, stuff happens.

It all started when I rediscovered Tumblr…

My Tumblr Experience

I’ve had a Tumblr account for forever, but it was just sitting there… like so many of my social identities. Recently, I wondered if I could use it as the “go to” place for all my online snippets and info. My experiment has become my own little monster. It sucked up alot of my time for a few weeks. I was always tweaking the layout, getting my own URL, trying new ways to get the information up there quickly and easily.

I fell in love! It’s so easy to post, so quick, and with a sidebar RSS here on WB, it makes my updates insta-matic!

I’m not willing to go with ONLY a Tumblr Blog — although the thought has been tempting. Using it really brought me into the “soundbite” era — and I now appreciate media catering to the “television-commercial-length-attention-span” I once despised. Gone are the overwhelming urges for long, verbose blog posts. (I’d rather just grab something interesting (or bizarre) that I find and slap it up on my Tumblr.)

Blogging on the Fly: No — REALLY!

Having a shortcut on my Firefox browser makes it easy to grab my online finds and share the golden ones. (If you want something to get ALL your social networking options in one place, try Sharaholic.) I also purchased Tumblrette for my iPhone (for $1.99) and find that having a quick and easy way to post when I’m out (including quick snapshots from my iPhone’s camera) makes me use the Tumblr blog much more often. It’s probably the best 1.99 I’ve ever spent at the apps store.

Tweaking it so my Twitters are automatically included, and so my blogs here on WB are also auto-magically added (along with other social networking automatic updates) has resulted in Tumblr becoming my personal online mashup.

I know that when I get time, I’ll be tweaking it more. I’d like to (eventually) host it myself — I’m not even sure if that’s possible yet. The brief research I’ve done hasn’t turned up any simple methods to accomplish this. In the meantime, visit my ever-evolving tumble log over at angelaallenparker.com.

And if you are just starting to blog… it’s a great “leg up” on the process. Tumblr makes blogging really fun. And it’s low-maintenance and it’s multi-format friendly. It’s a great way to create your own online “mashup” and can even be used to organize research and online finds (if you use your tags intelligently).

Now, I’ve “whittled down” my online time Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts and I don’t spend much time on them anymore. The others are there, and I add them to my profiles, but I don’t really spend time with them. (I can’t… all my extra time is spent on my Tumblr!)

I’m hard on computers. I’m always pushing the limits. I replace my hardware every 12-18 months. I have to. Heck, I wear off the letters on my keyboards every 6 months. My family laughs about it and no one ever wants my “used” keyboards.

I was sick and tired of rebuilding my system. I went to Linux to avoid the rebuild of XP that happened every 6-12 months, when the OS went from “speedy” to “getting slower” to “crawling.”

The only cure was to wipe the hard drive and reinstall the OS. This process rendered me unable to earn a living (or sleep) for 2-3 days while I tried to pull everything back. It’s not like I wanted to rebuild my machine so often. I didn’t. It made me crazy.

The Move to Linux

With Linux, it was easier. Once you got it working, it usually stayed that way. And, if there was a problem, you could reload the OS and pull your data back in pretty easily. The only problem was when I started poking around in Terminal, sometimes a “tiny” change would hose my whole system.

After spending weeks “tricking out” my Linux box and making it function flawlessly to do what I needed, I took extra time to make it pretty. I like pretty.

Form IS Function!

My father fusses that I spend too much time customizing. We share technology “finds” and argue about computers/software/hardware a lot. It’s our “thing.” For him, computers are a hobby. For me, they are also a tool to get my work done. Sometimes I confuse the “hobby” portion of my work with the “income producing” portion and this causes me headaches.

My Dad swore I’d like Linux better if I’d go with the standard look and feel – and just regen in minutes (unlike Windows) if it started acting flaky.

That would certainly take less time for a new set-up, but I liked having a witch hat for my personal files, a hard drive with a lock icon for my data backups, a globe for my Internet, etc.

I like pretty — but I also like efficient. It takes me less time to glance for a visual clue and click than to read through a list of generic folders with the contents listed in text on at the bottom. As many times a day as I clicked each one, this is a substantial time savings.

Two monitors are better than one

I always worked better with two monitors in Windows, but I had real problems getting two monitors to work with Linux. I decided to fix it by going and buying two identical monitors – so there were no conflicting driver issues.  I didn’t care how much it cost anymore, I was tired of poking at my machine. I wanted it to work.

I was lured over to the Apple display at my local Best Buy by the huge monitor on the back wall. It just happened. Honest! The monitors were so pretty and BIG. I wiggled the mouse on one machine and what popped up made my eyes go wide!

Then I got angry.

The layout on the iMac was amazingly close to what I’d spent days building on my Linux box. And, I’d never touched a Mac. Not EVER.  I left in a huff, without my two new monitors.

Sacrifice or simplification?

In recent months, I’ve tried lots of paths to simplify my life, many of which only complicated things. I didn’t need a new computer, but I did need to get a better display. I did need something that would work for all the windows I keep open. I liked the multiple desktops of Linux, but I needed more real estate on my monitor.

My father suggested that I ditch the idea of two monitors and buy a single large widescreen. He spouted off the math on how I would gain by having a 24″ widescreen instead of two of the 19” square variety. He won. I decided to buy a single large monitor.

I went back to Best Buy. I saw the iMac again. It had a 24” widescreen monitor, and the iMac had the rest of the computer built into the back of this flat screen. It was fascinating. It also had one cord. ONE. “No more rat nests of cords trailing down the back of my desk,” I thought. It had pretty lines, it was sleek. And, if it was as enchanting on my desk as the iPhone had been in my pocket… I’d be in heaven.

I looked at the Mac Pro Box. It had more cords, I could get into that box and change things… then I realized that was not a good thing.

I returned my gaze to the iMac. I wouldn’t take it apart, because there was no upgrade – other than maybe a little RAM in the future.

I was tired of having my weekends sucked away by a computer hardware or software upgrade/crash issue. If I were really planning to focus on writing and online work, a Mac would serve as well as Linux or Windows, right? Maybe better, since it wouldn’t derail me from from my main focus to go on some hardware/software tangent.

Learning about the Mac

I had done a bit of research on the OS after my first encounter. (Late at night, so no one would catch me at it. I even cruised the computer section of the Apple site. Shhhh!)

OS X is Unix based, like Linux, only with a slicker interface and it comes “ready to plug and play.” This was becoming more appealing to me by the second.

I talked to some folks that had Macs. I ignored those who had never used a PC – those who spouted the same hatred about PCs I’d blindly spouted about Macs. I did pay particular attention to those who knew a little about Linux and who had been PC aficionados before going to the Mac. I kept hearing, “It’s bulletproof.” I kept hearing, “There’s no maintenance.”

I started to want one.

I finally decided that if I was going to buy a new monitor, I’d have to rebuild my Linux box. It’s one of those things about Linux, video stuff is tricky. And, if I had to spend the time to rebuild a Linux box, I could probably use that same amount of time to learn a new OS. A Mac OS. I justified my desires.

And that’s how I ended up buying a new iMac.

Travels with Mia

I’ve always named my computers (and my cars). They have usually been male gendered. My iMac, Mia, is a little different. Still just as strong under the hood, she’s a bit more concerned about her appearance. (She likes being pretty.) There’s room on my simple desk for more than just a computer… and there’s room under my desk for my feet! I don’t get tangled up in cords every time I try to plug or unplug something.

I’ve had her almost a month now and I’ve never regretted it. Not once. My father quit speaking to me for awhile and threatened, “Don’t say ‘Mac’ at me anymore!” But, aside from that, there have been no issues.

Having a Linux box made high-end tweaks in Mia’s Terminal much easier than they would have been if I’d only had PC experience — but most users would never even need (or want) that. I find that the tech community online for the Mac OS is strong and helpful like the Linux community. There’s even some crossover.

The time machine function does automatic backups – I really like that. Mia works beautifully with my iPhone and external drives (although I did have to reformat them initially). And the biggest payoff? I’ve had more time to handle the other areas of my business and my life that needed an overhaul.

These days, it’s more about the big picture and less about spending countless hours with the gritty little details in my life. The more “grit” I eliminate, the more clearly I can see my life and my business.

Of course, Mia’s nice big screen only improves the view.

If you are interested in learning more about running a services business online, you are in luck! RemoteProfessionals.com has a great lineup of professional outsourcing mentors who have the information you need to get started quicker and easier with fewer costly mistakes.

Jodi and I have been working on this mentoring program for freelancers and virtual assistants for several months. It was created to help save others the time, effort and mistakes that often accompany launching a new business. Basically, we wanted to find the experts to cover those areas that we wish someone had told us when we launched our own businesses so many years ago.

Even if your services offerings are perfect, you still have to run a business. It’s not as simple as it appears…But it can be easier with a little mentoring.

This 12-week program will include a one hour conference with a different specialist each week. The topics include: financial planning, branding, niche selection, time management, taxes, data security, social networking, online marketing, contracts, and more!

Visit RemoteProfessionals.com to learn more!

When you are a remote professional, making a sweeping business change is a big step. Your business identity becomes inextricably intertwined with your personal identity. After a few years on the web, you consider your business URL in the same way you do your physical address. Like a cross-country move, any big change can be traumatic.

If the time has come to narrow your scope, deepen your niche or completely reinvent yourself online, there are a few steps you can take to make the transition a bit smoother.

Get an unbiased opinion… or two or three

Because you are so “close” to the project, having outside opinions from people you trust is paramount. There are things that you simply won’t see solo. Your business may often seem to be a solitary venture, but this is a place where you need to reach out to your network. Don’t fall in love with one option before seeking feedback. Go to the “floor” with your top three or four ideas.

If you blog, post your ideas there and see if any readers will offer suggestions. If you have a professional network, toss your ideas out and get feedback from peers. If you have family members that aren’t too close to your business, get their impressions of your new direction.

Once you have narrowed the field, pay a marketing consultant or business planning specialist to give a professional opinion on the pros and cons of your plans and how they will affect your bottom line and your ability to market your new brand. You don’t want to put all this effort into something that won’t help you in the long run. A single meeting may make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your efforts.

Take all these opinions and really listen to what was said. Keep notes on all the feedback for a couple days of agonizing push-me, pull-me evaluation. Once that period is over, pick the one you love. After all, you should be in love with your business name and concept. You will spend much of your life building, growing, nurturing and living with it. It should be something you love.

Plan ahead

Don’t jump into the transition. It’s going to be a challenging project. It will require a great deal of pre-planning to make the move smoothly. Start with the baby steps…

Your new URL

• Your URL should be a brand that you can love and one you can quickly take to heart and adopt as your online “alterego.”
• Select a URL that carries a keyword or two if possible. It should be short, focused and possess a little “zing” to capture attention. Make sure the URL will serve you from a marketing perspective. Why would you rebrand in a way that actually HURTS your online marketing?
• If at all possible, use a “.com” URL. Forget .net, .info, and all the upcoming extensions. Select a .com for a timeless and established look.
• The URL should be your legal business name. Register it as “MyCompany.com” to give you the advantage of “silently” promoting your URL whenever you give your business name. Even websites and directories that don’t offer a web link will accept this type of legal business name.

The Omni-important Tagline

• Forget the pain and agony of developing an elevator speech. The classic wisdom of a 30-second regurgitation of who you are and what you do and what value a potential customer would find in hiring you is soooo outdated and old school. (Besides, that is the purpose of your website!)
• Don’t assault strangers with all this information. You will only make them sorry they asked. Thirty seconds will seem like a lifetime to your marketing “victim.”
• Instead, develop a self-apparent business name with matching URL and a tiny 5-6 word tagline that clarifies your unique marketing position. You can use this combo on your voice-mail, business cards and in person, when asked what you do.
• It will take some time and quite a bit of effort to find the perfect combination of so few words. If well-executed, it will pay huge dividends and will make you memorable.

Marketing Materials

Over the years, I’ve spent thousands of dollars on all the marketing “fixings” including letterhead, multiple logos and images, envelopes, branded note cards, custom postage stamps, business cards, business websites, blogs, custom rubber stamps (with my logo), embroidered denim shirts, t-shirts, ball caps, table spreads (for events), etc, etc.,

Of those items, the most effective have been my business cards for in-person face-to-face encounters and my website/blog. Of the printed materials, I’ve used the branded notecards more than all the other business stationery combined. When I drop a physical note to a client, a peer or a prospect, I prefer it to be a personalized, handwritten item. The rest of the time, I use email and/or PDFs.

How you handle this will depend on your business and what niche services you offer. The more online your business, the less printed materials you will need… so your mileage may vary.

Before you automatically reorder all the stuff you had in the old business name, determine what really works for you. Don’t reorder out of rote. If you ordered 1000 custom envelopes three years ago and you still 995 of those, it’s probably not the best use of your funds.

Enjoy a Clean Slate

If you are rebranding, it’s a wonderful opportunity to purge any old ideas you have about how to run a business online. You have, no doubt, learned a great deal as a result of your “hands on” experience. Advise yourself in the same way you would advise someone who is just getting started.

Think about all of your “if ONLY someone had told me…” moments. Think about all the wasted time, money, and effort you expended when you first started.

Then, take a deep breath and plan. Make sure you don’t do any of that this time.

My Clean Slate

Personally, trying to keep my blog separate from my business website, and managing multiple branded websites was a mistake. I’m not a big business and I have no need to project that image. I should have accepted that fact early on.

People hire me as much for my personality as for my skills. It was weird to realize that, but it shouldn’t have been… after all, I accept or decline clients based on that “gut” feeling I have about them. Working so closely, and being happy with that situation, requires a good rapport. It just does.

Accepting that makes it easier to develop a single site (which contains a blog) to maintain.

Keep Records

You will be going (temporarily) backward to re-brand when you change your business. It’s a fact. There are places all over the web where you have promoted your old brand.

Keeping a record (a spread sheet will work fine) of all the places that you “find” your old brand will help you transition. Change all your profiles to reflect the new business identity. You will probably be surprised how many you have online. Going through your password list is a quick way to determine the identities you need to rebrand right away.

Legal Stuff

Don’t forget to change your business name legally; even if you are using a DBA you need to register it. Do the paperwork for any required business licenses for your area. Secure a new EIN, if necessary.

Change the information with your bank and PayPal accounts. Let your current clients know how to make out future checks/payments.

Redirect Traffic to Capture Visitors

Apply a Google-friendly 301 permanent redirect to capture as much of the old site(s) traffic as possible. Use your website’s 404 logs to determine when people are looking for something they don’t find.

Fix/forward every link. It will take time, but it’s worth the effort. You don’t want to lose visitors by frustrating loyal readers.

Re-Introduce yourself

Once you are up and running, take the time to go to your favorite blogs and websites and comment to help establish the new identity. Social networking can actually make this process easier. Some platforms allow a username and URL change without any problem (like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), while others will only allow a URL change and you are stuck with the same username or the prospect of opening a new account and trying to recapture your friends (like StumbleUpon and ActiveRain).

Do a press release. Produce a little fanfare. This is a big deal! Celebrate it.

A Final Thought: Be Sure

Before you start this process, be sure it’s necessary. It involves a tremendous amount of effort and should not be undertaken lightly.

If a change is needed, it’s better to make that transition sooner, rather than later. The availability of good URLs is diminishing by the second and unless you have already captured the URLs you may want to use in future years, merely getting the perfect URL can be a costly endeavor.

Don’t forget to have fun recreating yourself!

I’ve been juggling a business site and this blog site for YEARS (along with a couple other specialty blogs that have come and gone along the way). I was also blogging over on Active Rain for quite some time and I’ve recently picked up a bit of involvement in Facebook and Twitter (I just LOVE twitter!) and I’m getting more involved in Linked In and more interested in Squidoo.

As a result, I’ve started dropping some of the “balls” I try to juggle. My business site has not been updated in ages. That’s pathetic. I’ve quit doing submissions over on Active Rain (since putting them on my own blog and putting them over there causes duplicate content issues and I don’t have time to do both right now). I’ve not even been doing much blogging for RemoteProfessionals.com lately.

I’ve also determined:

• Research required to stay in step with all the latest in online marketing trends is time intensive and goes far beyond what’s required to write targeted, SEO-friendly web copy
• Successful online marketing hinges on two things: excellent, relevant copy for organic SEO ranking and intuitive navigation that makes it simple for visitors to get what they need quickly and easily. The rest is all black hat/white hat stuff and changes from hour to hour
• Splitting my concentration between multiple sites and services keeps me in front of my computer too many hours a day and my participation in the social web model needs to be managed more effectively
• I spend too much time staying on top of the latest in technology, encouraging clients to regularly call on me to serve as tech support – not a service targeted in my business model, but one that just happened
• I don’t want to maintain two “main” sites, it’s giving my marketing a split personality (and me a headache)
• Branding one URL will be more effective and easier than branding two, even if it makes me slide backwards a bit in Google while I get it done (and a few months thereafter). Howdy, sandbox!
• The overall SEO benefits of combining my blog with my business site are compelling

On the down side, moving my business and blog sites to another domain will damage the branding I’ve been building since 2002, when I switched over from my first business name to my current one.

Gradual changes

Being the “go to” person for a slew of clients is great for the ego, you are constantly in demand, constantly on call — but it’s hard on anyone attempting to have a life. It gets old quickly, and I’ve been in this business for a lot of years now.

I’ve been trimming my client list for the last year to offer better service to fewer clients. I’m now ready to try taking on writing project work. Until now, I’ve avoided “project” work. I preferred to build relationships with my clients. I treasure those I’ve built — both past and current.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve started sending my own favorite clients to other providers for services that aren’t my specialty. At first, that was scary. “What if they don’t come back?” I wondered. But I’ve not lost one yet.

This approach offers a better service to my clients, makes me the resource person for the services I don’t provide, allows me to help other outsourcing folks to gain access to fantastic clients, builds my professional network, and reminds my clients that I’m doing what’s best for them — even if that means referring them to someone else.

I want to keep my favorite long term clients through this transition and will only be trimming one or two more from my new better-sized list. Accepting project work will help me continue to expand the writing portion of my business — and writing makes me happy.

Sweeping changes

So the time has come to make some pretty drastic changes in my business model. I enjoy writing more than any other aspect of my business so that needs to be my marketing focus. It’s crazy for me to continue to perform all these other non-income producing research and learning tasks to support the services I offer that are NOT my favorites. What have I been thinking?!?!

I’m a geek, so some of the research will continue. I love it. But, I no longer want to “fool” myself into believing that it’s all business. When I’m working, I want a better billing ratio than 1 billable hour for every 3, 4 or even 5 hours of time spent. That ratio simply sucks.

Making the gradual changes has helped some; the sweeping changes will help even more.

Following my own advice

I’m doing for myself what I’ve been doing for clients for years — helping to organize and focus the business model and spend less time working and more time living — while improving the bottom line.

My whole life, I’ve been great at helping others, but not-so-great at doing the same things for myself. I have serious “do as I say, not as I do” tendencies — just ask my kids (for instance, when I send them to bed because they need sleep and I stay up all night working on the computer). Being honest to myself, about myself, isn’t always painless. It’s much easier to help others “fix” themselves!

I’m still working out the details of this next evolution in my business, but I know that there will (most likely) be a name change, there will be a merging of this blog and my business site, and there will probably also be a new site redesign, new logo, and LOTS of 301 redirects to try to help visitors find what they seek and to send old links to their new locations.

Transitioning

It will be a tremendous amount of work, and will have to be done in stages. I believe these changes will (in the long-term) make my life better, my workday shorter, and my business more focused on my best (and most enjoyable) services. Can you imagine only one site to maintain for the business? I can’t… but I will!

I may add other specialty blogs later, if/when I have time and energy… but the business site will be a singularity.

I’ve resisted this to date because I get “personal” on this blog. I often wander great distances away from business topics here. I’ve finally decided that’s ok. I’m not a big business, I’m a freelance writer who does small business consulting for a few choice clients. My personality IS part of my business. They really can’t BE separated. Like Popeye says… “I yam what I yam and that’s what I yam.”

Building good relationship with clients means having a common ground with them. I work best that way. So, the better we know each other in the beginning, the more likely we are to succeed in a mutually beneficial relationship.

I cross-promote my blog on my business site, so there’s really no reason to hide the fact that I write about a variety of topics on my blog. Anyone who clicks on the blog link already knows the “other side” of my story. Besides, I get more feedback from my blog right now than I do from my business website. (I’m sure that has NOTHING to do with the update ratio on each site *rolls eyes*)

With the all-in-one site, I’ll simply find a way to “highlight” the more “business-y” posts on the index page (maybe using a tag filter) and permit full blog access one click away from my index. I’ll be sticking with the WordPress content management system because I love it. It gives me enough control to do my own thing — without doing more HTML than I can easily handle or requiring me to call in my favorite programmer too often to extract my butt from the programming mess I’ve made.

Most of the issues I am still ironing out can be handled in the design and function of the website. I just have to figure out the particulars.

What I’ve learned

Since starting to serve clients online in 1999 and subsequently launching my first website in 2000, I’ve learned many things.

I know that simple websites are better than complex ones. Sounds easy, but knowing something and applying that knowledge are two different things. I like my blog better now with the current, cleaner look. The older layouts were too “busy” and less effective.

I’m a writer, so the text (not the photos) should take center stage. Graphics and images should only support the text, even if I like pretty pictures for their own sake.

I prefer simple, impactful logos. My logo incarnations over the years have often been too complex. They tried too hard. I do like the one for WickedBlog — even better than my business logo — despite that fact that it’s the only one I actually designed solo. The others required professional design assistance. It just proves that playing around with concepts works wonders. Sometimes when you try too hard, you lose the advantage of whimsy.

I may work toward a similar look for my new business logo.

Need your help

At this point, there are several contenders for the new name. I know that I want to keep my “wicked” branding. I like it. I’ll retain my purple and green colors. I like those too. These feel comfortable to me. They feel right. (They will also help with the branding transition and will permit me to keep my branded “wicked” 800 phone number.) I’ll have to replace all my pretty (and expensive) business cards, but I may replace them with a sleek mini card style.

Right now, the business name topping the list is Wicked Writer. I own the URL (and have for several years — which may reduce the time I have to spend in Google’s sandbox). A few other names are still under consideration. Since I haven’t gone through and cleaned out my domain name collection yet (yes, it’s on my list), I still own all the contenders as well.

I’d appreciate any feedback from my readers on using WickedWriter.com. Having a second, third… or even 20th opinion would really help me in this process!

It may be a couple months (or more) before I can get this transition completed. But it’s starting!

For the past week, every spare moment has been dedicated to the search for my own personal Holy Grail for my entrepreneurial business … A project management tool for the freelancer who collaborates with others.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? I’ve reviewed dozens (literally) of the options currently available. From the over 60 options I’ve seen, I’ve narrowed them down to just a few and then gone searching again over and over.

When I discovered Worketc.com, I started rethinking what I’d like this project management tool to do. I thought that maybe there was an “all-in-one” option out there that would replace all the little web-based apps I have started to use as well as the others I’m still seeking and/or evaluating.

Worketc.com has almost everything I want… close, but no cigar. I may have to settle for it, but before I’m willing to “settle” for anything, I wanted to define exactly what I want and search one more time.

In a perfect world, I’d be able to find a system that has all the tools I need to work more efficiently (from anywhere) the way I already work. I am no longer willing to change the way I work, the service I offer to facilitate the tools I use. Enough of that already!

With that in mind, I’ve created my “wish list” in two parts. One part is “Must Have” items and one part is the “it sure would be nice” list the third portion is me dreaming a bit, but still…

The program must have:

1. Simple intuitive interface
2. Tasks list that is sortable by project and by assignee
3. Email notification of assigned and completed tasks
4. Quick glance of latest activity on each project
5. File uploads area
6. Meeting notes area
7. Client login
8. Ability for clients to see progress
9. Client task list that they can check off

Would be nice:

1. Internal email
2. Contacts Management Database
3. Journal function
4. Searchable Notes area
5. Ability to create tasks via email
6. Timer (punch clock) and time sheet
7. Simple invoicing
8. Simple accounting
9. Multiple calendars (for each involved party, listing their tasks)
10. Ability to import calendars into Outlook and to subscribe in gCal

In a perfect world:

1. An offline option that syncs with the online option
2. Interactive whiteboard area for visual tools when meeting with clients
3. Ability to upgrade to self-hosted on my server
4. VOIP option built in for use with client and collaborative meetings
5. Ability to record and store whiteboard/telephone/webinar meetings in the project file area
6. Ability to host up to 20 people for a webinar
7. Ability to backup to/use from a thumbdrive
8. Skinnable and brandable
9. Logon widget for wordpress for clients to use from my website

I’ve said for some time that my business really isn’t that complex, and it isn’t. A tool like this would meet most of the needs I have in an easy-to-use, customer-friendly and portable option.

I love CashBoard for my timer, invoicing and simple accounting online. I’d like it even better if I could merge those features into an all-in-one freelance solution like this to work from anywhere. I can imagine the day when I would only need to find a computer with a browser to work from anywhere, and then could sync that data with my own freestanding version daily at my own computer as an “onsite” backup.

With that freestanding version, I could also continue working even if the Internet was down or unavailable or otherwise “wanky” and then sync the next time I connected. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Today, I’m back to the drawing board again. Now that I’ve finally reviewed enough to know what’s available and have considered more thoroughly what I need, what I want and what additional features would make it a “silver bullet” for my business… I need to try to find what will most closely meet my specs.

After the third round of shorting, I have a list of ten (some free, some paid) including (in no particular order):

• Webasyst.net
• EasyProjects.net
• 5pmWeb.com
• CentralDesktop.com
• CreativeProOffice.com
• OfficeZilla.com
• Sosius.com
• ProjectOffice.net
• OnstagePortal.com
• MyQuire.com
• WorkETC.com

But I may go back to the proverbial drawing board again. None of these offers everything I want, and many only offer a small number of the items in my “must have” list. The weekend is still young.

By the time this weekend is over, I’ll have found a workable solution — even if I can’t have all my desires filled by a single option. I’ll review again and pick the best of the lot and get my data settled in a new home. I’ll let you know what I find.

In the meantime, if anyone has a suggestion that will satisfy my list, I’d LOVE to hear from you!

I’m using any moment of free time for the rest of this month to simplify my work life and reduce what I have to handle this year. I am dedicated to finding better ways to handle the essentials of my business and my personal life.

I want shorter, more productive workdays and more time to call my own this year. Peace begins with simplicity — and simplicity is my goal.

As a freelance writer and marketing consultant, I need to reduce the interruptions during my workday to increase my productivity. If you are self-employed, you may want to use a few of my tips and tricks:

Phone

If you haven’t already listed your numbers on the national “do not call” directory, do so now. It’s not ok for telemarketers to interfere with your ability to earn a living or interrupt your family time when you are not working. Getting your numbers out of their reach is the first step to making this happen.

Be sure to inform anyone who calls thereafter that you are on the do not call list and request that they remove your number from their database. If a company continues to call, report them.

(Note: I didn’t register my cell phone number because I don’t give OUT my cell phone number. That’s one number that only a handful of people have — or will ever have.)

If you don’t have set business hours and a firm weekly work schedule, make it now. Let your family and friends know that you are not able to take personal calls during work hours. Don’t be negative about it and always give them a time when they CAN call:

“I work from 8 a.m. until 5:30, but I’d love to hear from you anytime between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. that way you and I will have eaten dinner and we will have quality time to visit.”

If they still call during business hours, cut it short (even if you aren’t swamped at that particular moment), “Joe, I’d love to chat, but I’m in the middle of a project. Can I call you back after work, say around 7:30?”

It won’t take long for family and friends to begin to respect your work time if you stay consistent and fewer interruptions means you will accomplish more (and make more money).

Mail

Reduce the amount of junk mail you have to handle, sort and discard. Visit http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm to remove yourself from a number of the top junk mail offenders. It will take up to two months to see any results, but you could have a cleaner, clearer mailbox before the first quarter ends.

E-mail

If your email account has been distributed to everyone under the sun, chances are you are overrun with spam. If you have a good spam program in place, great! If not, you may want to investigate getting one (a task that can devour days of your time).

If you are able to simply change your email address, without throwing your life into a tailspin, do so. A clean slate is a nice way to start the new year.

If you get a new “primary” email address, be sure to inform only the people that you trust not to share your information. This should be an account you protect and keep “clean” from spam.

If you are in business, set up a second account to put on your website. I use an altered image of that email address, rather than typing it in, to help reduce spam. It won’t prevent clients from reaching you, but it does slow down the bots. Since I never give this “web” email out to anyone, I can change it without a huge impact if I’m over run with spam. So far, I haven’t had an issue with that. To make it easy for me, I forward that web-only account to my main address so I see any contacts without divulging my primary account.

Set up a junk account. This can be a hotmail, gmail or yahoo account — or you can set up one using your domain name. I use my domain name and use this one account for all those places where I have to divulge my email and they actually require a verification before permitting me access.

I also use this account for any family members or friends who can’t stop sending me jokes, forwards of whatever, and email chainletters. If this email gets forwarded to everyone they know, it’s not a huge deal.

I have this account come into its own inbox. It’s loaded with spam and I just access it when I need/expect something to come in. If it’s a username/password that arrives in it, I transfer this information immediately to my KeePass program and delete the original email. Once a day, I dump the entire contents of this inbox and don’t waste my time reviewing any of it. Nothing that arrives on this account without my explicit request matters.

Passwords/Usernames/Logins/Etc.

The biggest timesaver I have for working exclusively online is my KeePass Password Safe program. This is where I store all my “username/password” combinations and the stuff I need to access to work online (host passwords, admin information, FTP for various sites, etc). This is my brain. I probably access this program 40-50 times a day and when I get a new computer, it’s one of the first programs to be installed.

Before I started using a password management program, I’d sometimes spend 5 or 6 minutes hunting around for the “critical” information I needed for my own work, or to help clients. Having websites “resend” passwords takes forever and knocks a hole in your time to work.

If you are still trying to remember them all, if you are using a spreadsheet to manage them or if you are using a single username/password combination for everything you touch, stop that! It’s not a secure way to handle delicate data.

Download your free copy of the open-source password manager today and start putting every one of your passwords in it.

Use it to store:

• Website username and passwords
• Access information for your website and hosting account
• Email setup instructions and Pop mail configuation settings

If you find the task of finding everything to put it in there daunting, just add them when you “touch” them next. That makes it painless to get the most often used ones in there quickly and you can add any new ones directly into KeePass without recording it elsewhere.

(Note: Be sure to backup your database! I lost mine once in a hard drive crash. It was horrible going back to the old methods to figure them all out again. Now, I keep it backed up once a week on a thumbdrive, and it’s always backed up in my regular backup series.

You

If you sabotage yourself during your work day, you need to correct this. Do you find yourself cruising Amazon or Ebay during your work day, or researching things that “seemed” to have something to do with work initially — but left you derailed somewhere during the search process?

Do you look up and realize that two or three hours have gone by and you have not finished the 15 minute project you started?

Entrepreneurs and freelance folks have a terrible time separating work from living. We almost always love what we do and spend WAY too many hours a day doing it.

The problem is, we also feel that we “deserve” a break and take it in little pieces, rather than in planned chunks. If you need some time, online, to chase some personal interests or to do research that’s not really related to creating income, then do it — but schedule it.

Plan to have one or two 15-30 minute blocks per day for any of these personal activities. Block it out on your daily schedule and set a timer to be sure you don’t “run over” the time allotted. Then, enjoy it — without guilt.

When your time is over, get back to work. The change of pace will probably refresh you and help you to be more productive. Limiting the time and not “fooling” yourself about how much time you are spending will prevent it from impacting your income.

Having a scheduled workday will also help with this. If you work all the time, you feel that you deserve some downtime (and you do!). but taking it without recognizing it can often leave you feeling that you work constantly without relief.

While gasoline prices top $4.00 per gallon and the economy pundits’ projections dip and sway, I’m glad that my business is already established and runs from a home office.

I’m also pleased that I’ve taken the time to evaluate my clients, services and my business expenses and trim them all back neatly. My next big “trim” will be the number of days I work per week. I’m preparing for it now and hope to implement my new, shorter workweek by the end of July.

Determining how much I should make this year made it easier to look at how many days a week would be required to make that target income and to plan accordingly. It’s also made me re-evaluate my original numbers and trim them back even more.

I credit the price of gasoline for encouraging me to take some steps that are improving my business and my life.

Dovetailing Errands

I’ll be spending one day out of the office per week to get the things done I need to do. I visit with my parents once a week and spend the day. They live two hours away. On the way up, I run errands for the business and pick up anything I need that’s only available in their city while I’m there (that way the trip can be expensed). They have an office supply store and a general merchandise super-store there. I don’t have either of those here.

I get an early start so I can arrive at their house between 9 and 10 a.m. In the late afternoon, I head back to the house and do my grocery shopping and other personal errands on the way home.

Living a deliberate life

It means I only get out once a week now, but it also means I accomplish the bulk of my non-client related to-do list on that one day. These choices aren’t purely financial. I’ve actually started recycling. (Dropping it off is another item on my errands list each week.)

My new push to live life more deliberately and to think things out before jumping and running helps me to minimize the ecological impact of my life. I watch the extra packaging and purchase fresh foods locally as much as possible.

I’m actually saving money

Making sure that I never make a trip out for just one or two things requires me to plan ahead, make lists — and an unexpected bonus is that I’m avoiding impulse purchases and using less gas every week. By doing the shopping on my way home from my parents’ house, after I’m already tired, I’m not tempted to participate in “entertainment” shopping.

I don’t stay in the store long enough for the bright packaging and the multi-million dollar ad campaigns to do their job. I go in, get what I need and get out. My shopping lists are pretty basic and fairly healthy.

An improved way to measure success

For years, I emphasized making more money. It was a “marker” of my success. It helped me to feel that my little cottage industry was real, sustaining and important. It meant that leaving my corporate job was the right decision.

Now, I’ve changed my approach. Now, I look at what I really need and am honest about what can do without. I weigh my purchases more carefully and I bundle all my travel into a single trip. Now, I realize it’s not how much I make that really impacts my quality of life — it’s how much I spend. (more…)

A recent NYT article chronicles the stress of being a full-time blogger, entrepreneur and participant in the Internet information industry. So, after staying up until nearly 3 a.m. last night working on my “new look” for WickedBlog — with proper validation, a new layout and a WordPress update (that I did all by my lonesome!)… I have to wonder if I’m not part of this craziness.

I’ve noticed the weight gain, the failure to eat properly and the lack of exercise — especially lately. But I keep telling myself that my life will calm down soon, that it will get better, that I’m “investing” in my future. I’m serving clients, dealing with children and family issues, maintaining my websites, blogging and doing constant research.

Hmm… maybe I’m merely continuing my life-long habit of “burning-the-candle-at-both-ends” and I’m just CALLING it something new. Food for thought. Definitely!

Are you just getting started as a virtual assistant, freelancer, remote professional or outsourcing provider? Are you wondering how to find the clients? Manage time and billing? How to get your business on the web?

Maybe you are an old hand and providing services remotely (like me) and what you REALLY want to know is how to gracefully “fire” a client that is no longer a good fit, or you may want to determine if it’s time to try your hand at blogging, or maybe you want to update your existing website to be more effective for your mature business model?

If you want an economical way to find solutions for any of these issues, you may want to sign up for the RemoteProfessionals.com Mini-Conference to be held on April 17th. It’s a great way to get answers from the people in the know!

Presenters include:

• Tiffanie Lyon of Lyon Sales Institute, LLC
• Marsha Kopan of Executive Secretarial Services
• Anna Baron of the Virtual Link
• Karen Reddick of V-and-E-Services
• Mike Price of MLBroadcast.com
• Andrea Pixley of AndreaPixley.com

If you are interested, move quickly. Registration for the virtual assistant mini-conference closes soon, and the workshop sessions are limited to only a handful of earlybirds — keeping the workshop classes small makes them more effective! I’ll be there… maybe you will be too!

(NOTE: And if you are just starting out… you may be interested in the one year “startup membership” given as a complementary bonus to all non-members who purchase all-day access!)

I’m seriously considering moving from Kubuntu to Ubuntu. If I do so, I’ll want to use Evolution to handle my email and to serve as my PIM. Before I make that move, I wanted to try Evolution on Kubuntu.

First snag? Getting my email moved over.

I have all my essential information under a data storage file folder on my home folder — so I always know where my most important data is stored. This means when I set up a new system (or do a re-gen of a current OS) I point my programs to where the data is always stored so I don’t have to “hunt and peck” to find my mission critical info. I also don’t have to spend an afternoon Googling “where does ______ store ______” over and over again.

Since I’m just testing the Evolution, I made sure that the accounts I set up were marked to leave the email on the server — that way they will all still “land” in the Kontact system, until I make a decision.

To move my current email files from Kontact to Evolution, I took the following steps:

1. Copied my Kontact emails into a new folder (so I didn’t hose my current emails accidentally).
2. Created a new account in Evolution:
   1. Go to Edit, Preferences, Mail Accounts (and hit the plus sign to the right).
   2. Add in bogus information, calling the account “import”
   3. Select server type “Maildir-format mail directories”
   4. Under configuration, select other and add a path that leads to the top-most folder copied from your Kontact (called ‘mail’ unless you renamed it)
   5. Be sure this isn’t your actual Kontact data, but is a copy.
   6. Add in bogus information to complete the account.
   7. Open up the “import” account and all your emails should be present.
3. Move the emails (and folders) into your actual email account on Evolution.
4. Once all the emails are moved over, delete the “import” account.

Hope this makes it easier to move over and give Evolution a try, if you have been using Kontact. I’d love to hear the pros and cons of this move from others who have (or are) making the move.

How much money do you need to make in 2008? How much do you want to make? Have you budgeted for expenses? Have you planned for vacation time away from work?

I just finished and filed my taxes. Yeah me! But the cooler part of that equation was that I took the tax software for 2007, and ran a few numbers for fun. Yes, I said “for fun.”

I hate taxes and bookkeeping more than the average joe… probably a lot more… but I found this process quite enjoyable. Why? Because it gave me a perspective that all the personal business planning to date hasn’t managed to offer.

How so? Let me explain…

After my taxes were complete, I saved that file for posterity (and for future reference, if needed) and renamed the file so I could play, without re-entering all the information.

First I gave some serious thought to the larger purchases I need to make for the business this year. For instance, going from a two-monitor system to a single one with my new Linux computer has been difficult. Within the next two months I plan to purchase two wide-screen monitors and a graphics card to push them to improve my efficiency when I’m online (and to eliminate any of that pesky extra deskspace I might otherwise enjoy.)

I reviewed my expenses for 2007 and determined which ones would be about the same and which ones would increase and which ones I could whittle down. I plugged my best estimations onto each category. (Which also gives me a de facto operating budget for 2008 neatly organized into tax categories, now printed out in my budget notebook!)

The next thing I did was max out my retirement contribution for 2008. (Note that IRA contributions will increase from $4000 in 2007 to $5000 in 2008, and take that into account with your final numbers.) With my expenses and my investments calculated, I then tweaked some of the other numbers to determine exactly how much money I need to make in 2008 to meet my income and savings goals without increasing my taxable income dramatically.

There are a few little spots in the income category that really bump up your taxes – to the tune of 30%+. Personally, I don’t want to work to make an extra 10K, if that means that the federal government will take $3300 of that off the top. I’d rather have a little more time to call my own.

You can also use this tool to determine how much you should put into your IRA contribution… for 2007. I found the “sweet spot” in my own contributions by plugging in various IRA contributions until I found the amount that benefited me the most in taxes without breaking my budget. Since you have until April 15th to fund that IRA, it’s crazy to pay more taxes than you must, if you can pay yourself instead!

I decided this year that rather than simply trying to make as much money as possible, I would employ the 80/20 rule. I determined the optimum income for my personal situation. I’ve been working as an independent, remote professional for eight years now. I wanted to get a bit smarter about it. I love my business, but I’m tired of it constantly encroaching on my life. I’m ready to have my cake and eat it too! Being self-employed is a tough balancing act, but your income is still merely a tool to live – even if you adore your work.

So, I decided how much time I wanted to take off this year for personal days, vacations, etc. In 2007, I took off the entire month of December. Granted, I had to move from the city back to the country during that month, but I also enjoyed a cruise vacation. As a result, I’ve decided that vacations are wonderful! Yes, I should have known that before, but I only managed to take “working” vacations in the past. I’ll not make that mistake again. Live and learn.

I deducted the number of weeks I wanted to take off this year from the available 52 to determine the number of working weeks for me in 2008. I even padded that figure a little for personal illness days, personal mental health days and days when the kids may be sick or other members of the family may need my help.

I took the number of dollars I wanted to make this year (from the tweaked numbers on the tax program) and divided that by number of work weeks I determined I would have to give me the amount of money I needed to make per week.

Then, dividing that figure by my hourly rate, I knew how many hours I needed to bill per week to meet my goals. I was surprised at the figure… and thrilled.

I also was honest enough with myself to know that I work 2-3 hours for every billable hour. Yes, I should be more efficient, but I spend many “non-billable” hours writing articles, doing research and staying on top of the industries I serve and the technologies they use. I also have an unquenchable personal thirst for such things, so I’m not as disciplined as I should be. Knowing your weaknesses and working those into your budget will make your numbers more accurate.

Now, I know how many hours I need to work per week, how many need to be billable and how many days off I can take this year without impacting my bottom line. It’s a liberating feeling. It takes the guess work out of being self-employed.

This year, I’m not going to spend my life at the computer and I’m probably going to actually enjoy more of the money I make. Yes, the software I used is based on 2007, not 2008, but it’s probably the best tool readily (and inexpensively) available to make these determinations for the small business owner.

You may want to give it a whirl yourself… after your taxes are filed.

Personally, I use TaxAct… it’s about half the cost of the leading software, it’s downloadable for immediate gratification, and I find it simple to use.

(It also keeps a running total of taxes in the top right hand corner which helps for “comparison” planning for the new year.)

Once this year is winding down, I’ll order the 2008 version and plug in my numbers to make sure I’m on track. I’ve planned my work so I can determine in October how much more I need to make, if I should invest in any additional equipment, and what needs to happen to keep me on track even with the changes in tax law. I’m actually looking forward to doing my taxes for 2008 to see how well this planning works. Me… looking forward to doing my taxes! Will wonders never cease?

I’ve been tweaking all my systems lately and I wanted to share the list of firefox addons I’ve settled in to use. These are all tried and true — no browser-breakers here. (more…)