I’ve been collecting a host of twitter tools for a blog entry for some time now. Although this is not an exhaustive list, it may be enough to help expand the usefullness of one of my favorite social media platforms. Check them out for yourself:

Twitter rank – Like pagerank for twitter users.

Twitter search – Want to look for particular terms (or your own name, brand or competition) on twitter? This is the tool!

Twitter Fan Wiki: Apps – Want to find the best of the twitter platform apps for your own use, check out this exhaustive list.

Twitter alerts: TweetBeep – Would you like an email when someone on twitter mentions you or your products or your company — or even your favorite topic? This is the tool… but beware, too-general terms will overflow your inbox in minutes!

Twitter pictures: TwitPic - Expand the platform from 140 characters to include photos with this service.

Tweet from Firefox: TwitBin – If you love Firefox as much as I do, and would like to twitter directly from there, try this addon.

Twitter in groups – Want a way to narrow the collective into groups and specific conversations/discussions? Try tweetworks.

Tweet-grid – Select a handful of topics you would like to follow and create a browser-based grid to hold them all. I tested this during the election and found it to be quite useful.

Twitter directory – get listed here and find people with similar interests!

Prettify your twitter – grab a twitter background to rise above the norm.

Twitter hashtags – a way to group specific keywords/topics when trying to stay on top of twitter speak.

Tweet clouds – ever wonder what you tweet about most often? Find out!

Twitter cost – once you start following some of the bigger names, you may find that you don’t have the time to read all those microposts. Check the guy/gal here before committing to a follow — or do a vanity check on yourself. Are you worth the cost? Are they? (Also shows the political index of any twitter user.)

And, if all this talk of Twitter is like Greek to you, try Jason Hiner’s excellent Twitter article as your intro to this platform. It’s from May of this year, but is a great starting place for those new to twitter or twit-wanna-bes.

I’d welcome any additions to this list, so tell me what you guys use!

(Note: Bluebird photo courtesy of gracey of morguefile.com)

Until recently, even if you didn’t have a “network” enabled printer, you could putz around with the thing and get it to work… especially if you have a dedicated server to run it through.

Those days are over.

In the same way that the win-fax modems put the stupid in a periperal, the printers are now relying on the CPU of the host computer to run the things. This means that they need a constant connection with that host computer.

Thus, if you try to “share” it across a network, a whole host of ugly (and hard to troubleshoot) things can occur… like intermittent printing, endless spooling, and serious wait times — I’m talking up to 12 minutes to print a simple .txt file!

So, if you think that a printer you are going to buy now might EVER need to be on a network, do your research carefully and skip on over to Best Buy and New Egg and CNET for the reviews and the ratings (stars for BB, eggs for NewEgg) and read what others say about the products.

Like I just told my “social networking naysayer” father — social networking isn’t just about Twitter and Facebook… it’s about using the collective knowledge to make better choices. (He still resents that I call his time spent on NewEgg as “social networking” time — of course he’s just a lurker, he never actually leaves any reviews of his own.)

I’m wearing him down.

So, save yourself the headaches, stress and frustration — do the research first and don’t assume that the old “tried and true” methods will work. You can’t simply add a printer or even lock it in via TCP/IP or, set it up as a local printer by specifying the IP address and share name of the printer.

Times have changed.

Also, the drivers for Vista are not all created equal. Very few of the lower-end printers have decent drivers for Windows Vista 64-bit machines. (They do well to support standard 32-bit machines).

And before you buy, Google “problems with ________ (insert the model you plan to purchase) with __________ (the operating system(s) you plan to use) on a network.” Then read and be scared… very scared.

That just about does it for my rant’o the day. It’s late.

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 was asked (by colleague and nature writer JJ Murphy) this weekend if a blog chain was good for marketing. She asked me several questions:

1. What is the marketing value, if any in a blog chain?
2. Does it make sense to reply back to a comment on your site?
3. Is there a marketing advantage to guest blogging?
4. Does any of this help in search engine ranking?

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With the constant droning buzz about social media and Internet communities, it can be pretty overwhelming to determine where you should spend your limited time and even more limited energy.

If you are considering joining some now, you should:

Select only a few - it’s better to do a few things really well than to “sort of” do many things. Choose carefully based on your interests, the others involved whether or not the layout/setup makes it easy for you.

Participate – social media doesn’t work if you don’t work it. Signing up and staying quiet is like going to a dance and propping up a wall all night. It’s no fun and it doesn’t help you become more visible to your potentials.

Advertise – if you are a member of a social network and you don’t tell anyone — how will you be found? Many of the people you already know (or those who know you) may be interested in becoming involved with you on a social network — if they know which ones you use… (more…)

Outsourcing service providers are a growing segment of the population. With astronomical gasoline prices, the spread of broadband and communications networks, it’s no surprise that more individuals are seriously considering alternative work styles.

Two years ago, Jodi Diehl and I started www.RemoteProfessionals.com, and this year we are launching a new membership level to help individuals interested in establishing their own services business to begin outsourcing. (more…)

Usually when success hits the entrepreneur, it hits all at once. You are probably not prepared for the onslaught, when that invisible switch flips and the clients flood in. You don’t expect it, no matter how long you hope for that day and await its arrival…

How do you measure success?

After years of struggling, barely eeking out a living, and working day and night to build your business… you realize (usually suddenly) that you have arrived. How do you know?

• You have a full work schedule, probably too full
• You have more business inquiries from potential new clients than you can possibly serve
• You find yourself asking, “What should I do with the overflow?”

You could refer the business to others, but you hesitate to give away the fruits of your labor. (It was too hard to cultivate those fruits!) So what should you do?

Give it away!

Forget those old notions about protecting your “turf” — now is the time to share the wealth! The world is a big place. Once you make a name for yourself, you will continue to preserve and build your reputation as your business expands. You shouldn’t be concerned that your stream of clients will run dry.

It’s easy to worry that if you give away potential clients now, more may not come back later when you actually need the business. But, the best insurance policy against future “dry spells” is sharing your bounty.

Giving others a “hand up” as they are building their businesses builds goodwill. It is the right thing to do. It’s something that someone probably did for you — or something you WISH someone had done for you. Be that person for someone else — or several someones.

Giving away your excess leads builds enduring professional relationships and promotes strong networks between peers. And, should the time ever come when you find your client load a little ‘light’ — these relationships and this network will help you to survive during periods with little new client activity. Chances are your peers will share the wealth with you.

Find your balance

Yes, even when your schedule is full, it’s still tempting to take on the particularly “juicy” clients:

• The clients that you “click” with immediately, even during a single phone conversation
• The clients that have projects that get your creative problem-solving juices flowing
• Clients that offer the potential for a long-term relationship

At this point , however, you should only consider taking on new clients if you are replacing existing clients. The idea is not to work more and enjoy less, it’s just the opposite. If your current client load is less than ideal, evaluate what you want for yourself and what direction you want for your business. Let go of less than perfect clients and take your chances with a new client or two. But, always consider your long-term goals and make sure you aren’t working harder than you should.

Remember, there are a limited number of hours in your day. You are one person. Do the math. Determine how much you need to work and plan to spend time away from the office when you don’t have scheduled client projects and meetings.

Enjoying your business success should not mean that you enjoy life less. It’s great to love your job, but you still need personal time. Realizing that and making personal time a reality — now THAT is real success!

I have a few ideas for your consideration:

• What would you say if, suddenly, you could no longer access the sites you like to visit? What if you were automatically redirected to a “similar” site without your knowledge or permission?
• What if your own site was no longer visible on the web or if it took MUCH longer to load your site than to load others?
• What if every search query typed in for real estate your area came back with a single franchise — the competition’s and you had no way to change that because they had an exclusive agreement with the ISP/Host/Search Engine providers in your area?

Sound impossible? It’s not….I’ve just returned from Memphis, the host city for the 3rd National Conference on Media Reform. I must say that about 17 years ago, I would have attended this (and probably the two prior conferences) from a completely different perspective — one of a journalist.

This year, I attended for one reason only — I wanted to learn more about the organizations and the individuals dedicated to helping insure that everyone who wants to define, pipeline, shunt and stifle the Internet is stopped. I went with one issue “Keep your grubby paws off my Internet!”

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I had a client with an interesting problem this week. Their T1 connection had gone down for a few hours and suddenly their emails were bouncing, being delivered to their webmail instead of siphoning through their onsite router, and life was just generally difficult for them. They were also no longer receiving their web-based forms email.

It took a bit of research (and calling in favors from some of my most talented fellow techies) to resolve the issue. These things are never as simple as they should be, are they?

In case it’s of any assistance to anyone else, I wanted to deconstruct the problem here… and share the solution.

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RemoteProfessionals.com partners announced today they would be offering free registered user accounts to the general public.

These accounts are designed to help those interested in learning more about the outsourcing industry, more about remote service providers, and more about how to work with these individuals. The accounts also benefit experienced service providers and remote services clients. Two forum topics have also been opened to registered users. Creating an account will allow users access to the RemoteProfessionals.com digest (a periodic email with the most recent articles and site announcements) and registered users may also appear in the basic online user’s directory.

For Beginning Virtual Assistants and New Outsourcing Service Providers:

Partners Jodi Diehl (www.sunfrogservices.com) and Angela Parker (www.wickedwordcraft.com) believe these accounts will offer an informative and beneficial networking environment for newly established virtual assistants and remote services providers. Through the forums and website tools, those new to the industry will have access to experienced outsourcing professionals as well as industry-specific articles to aid them in establishing a successful outsourcing business.

For Career Virtual Assistants and Professional Outsourcing Providers:

The registered user option enables a small sample the website offerings at RemoteProfessionals.com. Registered users will also be able to network with peers, share their knowledge in the Expert Solutions forum and stay on top of current trends with the email digest.

For those who require more information and access, paid membership in RemoteProfessionals.com includes access to a full spectrum of forums, an expanded profile listing in the Member Directory with an online bio, access to client inquiries for projects, online networking with other members on client projects and the and ability to contribute industry-specific articles.

Interested and qualified users may submit an online application form to transition from registered access to full membership at any time.

It amazes me that now that Mobile windows has now discovered the Treo, and has announced a windows based project for next year, that the BlackBerry software folks are also jumping ship over the the Treo. BlackBerry does a great job with email, but they stumbled a bit when they added voice. Treo does it better, collectively speaking. (more…)

Jodi Diehl of SunFrogServices.com and Angela Parker of WickedWordCraft.com, saw a growing need for a high-caliber network of remote professionals. With over 11 years as independent offsite professionals and over five years in leadership roles in a non-profit virtual assistant organization, these partners knew first-hand the difficulty of locating highly specialized professional outsourcing providers.

Yesterday, the two solved this problem with the launch of RemoteProfessionals.com. This membership-only expert network is the first of its kind for independent providers in the outsourcing community.

The primary goal of the network is to provide highly specialized service providers direct access to a qualified network of peers.

The first small group of RemoteProfessionals.com members was hand-selected by the partners for their professionalism, business experience in providing offsite services, the quality of prior work and the depth of knowledge in their specialized fields. All RemoteProfessionals.com members have defined niche services, have been in business for over two years, and run their businesses as a full-time career. Members of this elite network benefit from peer interaction, project collaboration and access to additional specialized skills via their professional peers. RemoteProfessionals.com offers members the tools to help serve their clients on a broader scale without sacrificing the depth of knowlege that specialization offers and clients require.

Clients will also benefit from this virtual network, having finger-tip access to the most specialized group of virtual service providers availalble for their project. Utilizing member directories or intuitive online search tools, clients can locate a qualified outsourcing professional quickly and easily. RemoteProfessionals.com also offers a project submission form where clients can submit large projects to the network for a collective response.

As a specialist group, these members understand that working together on a multi-service project benefits not only the client, but the provider as well. Utilizing each provider’s specialty skills in a collaborative fashion provides the client with a complete solution to their project. Members’ clients no longer need to spend precious time researching, interviewing and training multiple service providers – RemoteProfessionals.com is the one-stop source for expert outsourcing services.

IVAA increases the power of the individual Virtual Assistant by providing a network of skilled, available talent to serve as a resource, a sounding board, to offer guidance, and to provide a sense of camaraderie in what could be an essentially solitary career pursuit.

The importance of this “hit home” for me a few weeks back when a family friend told me: “I don’t see how you can work like that, never getting away, staying in front of that computer all the time without any human interaction.” He concluded with conviction “I couldn’t stand it, I’m a people person!” He was decidedly serious, but it struck me as funny. It’s been years since I’ve considered my work “solitary.” I’ve not considered it that way since I joined IVAA, as a matter of fact. (more…)

A lighthearted view on the trials and tribulations of “going mobile” with your computer, your work and your life. Written by a Kentucky Virtual Assistant…

I just “jumped over” into the world of MOBILE computing! I can now work from “virtually” ANYWHERE! I bought my first laptop and cannot believe the freedom of this 3.5-pound wonder. I’ve wanted one for years, but could never justify it. With my life-style and mobile work-style, I finally managed to convince myself that I needed one. It arrived two months ago. It has been in arms-reach since the moment I unpacked it.

You must understand, I’ve always been a nomad at heart. The laptop fits perfectly into my philosophy. I have always loved the idea of minimizing needs, shunning most of my “worldly possessions” and miniaturizing the ones I must have. Most people I know started buying DVDs because they had better quality and more options. But, for me it was simple: I went to DVDs because they take up less space.

In a former life, I was probably a turtle.

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