Posted by Michael Hartzell on Thu, Aug 12, 2010
When talking with someone about business, I can attach a page inside the Personal Brain. Anything you can imagine: Marketing, planning, brainstorming and presenting. Better for business than a Swiss Army Knife.
I can put frogs in the background of Personal Brain.
I can have many brains. (They say two heads are better than one; then my many brains must be even better!) Too bad I can't charge by the brain.
Photos, websites, html, text, tags, links are not all I can put into my Personal Brain.
The Personal Brain helps me take notes and pass tests. (Its search tool is instantaneous.)
I don't have to remember anything once it is in one of my Personal Brains.
This of course relieves stress as the information is always at my finger tips.
I wrote a book in a Personal Brain (Still to be published, coming soon!)
The Personal Brain can be shared by zipping it up and sending a file to somone. I can share my brain.
This might be looked on as letting someone read my mind, don't you think?
Having a Personal Brain is more than a mind map, more than an organizer. It is a place to keep and organize thoughts, have a meeting, create a plan, write a book, and the pro version even helps to creates a website.
The Personal Brain is a software program. It is free. There is a pro version that expands even more. The Personal Brain can be used at the simplest level or be used with hundreds of links as a database and teaching tool.
As with anything new, there is a small learning curve. With webinars every week online, the masters show how to use the Personal Brain. The recordings available on their site assure the learning curve is short and sweet.
This is a program I will never give up. After 90 days of the free version, I upgraded to the pro. One of the best buys I have made in the last two years. This is so integrated into my daily life, I became an affiliate. It looks like they are about to upgrade to a new version.
Click here so that you can try The Personal Brain.
Do you want to see how it works?
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Fri, Jul 16, 2010
The 21st century offers a flexible office rental space at Meadow Creek Professional Center for any location including: Sammamish, Issaquah, Bellevue and the world. No longer are you limited to having a space where all of your staff are in core office. You can hire an executive in Sammamish, WA and have them work in an office near their residence and they can work virtually in a professional business center which provides everything including the kitchen sink.
In fact, if you are expanding your business to an area where you do not yet have a presence, using Meadow Creek Professional Center for a virtual office provides the services such as mail, telephone, meeting rooms, business offices, and much more.
Maybe it is time to rethink how you have the team all committed to commuting 90 minutes to a central location only to communicate by email, text, file sharing and phone when each could improve efficiencies and devote more of the day to production by utilizing a more flexible office space for your small business.
While you can contact Anna and learn more about how to create a leaner and more efficient business in the heart of the Pacific Northwest Washington, you can also make your own professional video such as the one above in about 20 minutes.
How? Animoto.
Share your photos, send a message, tell a story. Animoto is one tool I rely on heavily. There is a free version available. The video I made above which offers a link at the end along with other features is the Pro version.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Thu, Jul 08, 2010
Understanding the trends and patterns of decision making by your customers is a must. If your business includes selling technology, mobile devices or cell phones then pay attention to this:
How Consumers Prepare to Purchase Mobile Devices
As smartphones steadily take over the US mobile market, features and capabilities become more important to users whose decision-making relies increasingly on online research for new models.
Full Article
This is only a very small piece of what a powerhouse like emarketer provides. If you plan on being a mover and shaker and relying on second hand filtered news is not enough then you might need more. (I am just eyes and ears with this one. No commisions or kick backs.)
Or take a look at one of my sponsors:
Insider Secrets to 15 Second Marketing.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Sat, Jul 03, 2010
As you scan the business headlines, new technology is being added every week. One option to keep up is the Website Magazine.
Thoughts to consider for your business as you scan the headlines:
- Mobile payment options
- Video marketing
- Brainshark
- Back to School Preparation
Here are headlines this week from Website Magazine:
PayPal Launches New Mobile Payment System
Online payment service PayPal has launched a mobile payment service for e-commerce merchants, and retail giants Buy.com and Nike are among the first to utilize the new platform.
Online Video Soaring as Users Accept Advertising
According to research from Frank N. Magid Associates, conducted on behalf of Metacafe, consumers still prefer short-form video online.
Amazon Offers 70-percent Royalties on Kindle eBooks
Amazon rolled out a 70-percent royalty option for authors and publishers who use the Kindle Digital Text Platform (DTP), a potentially more lucrative avenue for self-publishers than what the company first announced back in January.
Best Reason to Buy a dot CO Domain Name
Domain registration company LCN today announced they have begun offering one free year of web hosting to customers who pre-order a dot CO domain name.
Brainshark Mobile Creates All-access Business Presentations
Already viewed every 3.5 seconds worldwide, Brainshark business presentations have just become significantly more accessible with the launch of Brainshark Mobile.
ClearSight Launches New Audience-targeting Suite
ClearSight Interactive, an audience-targeting solutions provider for advertisers and publishers, has launched a new suite of software that will enable marketers to deliver banner ads to prospective customers based on privacy-compliant demographic, psychographic and geographic data.
Dex One Getting It Done
Local marketing solution provider Dex One entered into a distribution agreement with Jingle Network, an operator of an ad-supported directory assistance service (1-800-FREE411).
The Planet and the Cloud
Web hosting provider The Planet has introduced its own cloud platform dubbed Server Cloud.
31 Back-to-School Keyword Targets
For most students, summer is in full swing. Going back to school is far from the top of their minds.
SEO: All About the Long Tail
A new study from online ad network Chitika reveals that ranking high for popular queries between three and five words long should see both optimal traffic and conversions.
Chrome Passes Safari; You Go Chrome
Web analytics provider StatCounter is reporting that Google's Chrome browser has overtaken Apple's Safari in the US for the first time. Research is from the firm's StatCounter Global Stats report for the week beginning June 21.
HootSuite5 Includes Geo-search and Google Analytics
With HTML5 becoming the industry's technology standard, the new HootSuite5 takes advantage with a completely refreshed user interface. Other updates include geo-located search, native Twitter retweets and integrated Google Analytics.
Bing Will Show ResellerRatings Reviews in Search Results
Bing, Microsoft’s search engine that is slated to join forces with Yahoo! later this year, has announced its partnership with e-commerce merchant reviews provider ResellerRatings.
Rising Demand the Only Certainty About Online Video
Lots of factors are keeping the future of online video in a state of relative uncertainty these days, including the continued development of Google TV, Apple TV, Roku and other new platforms.
Subscribe to Website Magazine. They continue to provide value week after week.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Wed, May 26, 2010
To push your paradigm, challenge your business meeting processes, here is a recent article based on an interview of experts.
May 2010
To get some probable answers, Meetings Media spoke with an assortment of industry gurus who have witnessed their share of cycles and changes affecting meetings and events. They are business and marketing consultant
Stan Aaronson, CSEP, owner of S M Aaronson Marketing Strategies; demographics expert Maddy Dychtwald, co-founder of Age Wave and author of the new book <
>; meetings management consultant Daphne Meyers, CMM, of the Red Barn Group; meetings technology consultant Corbin Ball, CSP. CMP, of Corbin Ball Associates.; and trade show and event marketing consultant Charles Allen of C.W. Allen Group. Will virtual technology have much more of an impact on meetings than it does now, perhaps reducing the size and number of face-to-face meetings?
Stan Aaronson: We will see more hybrid meetings, where there are virtual and face-to-face components. The fact that there are so many people working on a contract basis or remotely from the office is having a big impact on meetings. Increasingly, you will have the in-house people meeting in the conference room, while others are linked into it.
One reason that face-to-face-meetings won’t go away is that you can’t get the same kind of synergy from a virtual event. All five of the senses need to be stimulated for retrievable memories to be created. Virtual meetings can’t do this. That’s why food is an important part of a meeting.
Will perception issues continue to have a big impact on meetings? Is the big splashy sales incentive a thing of the past or might it return with a stronger economy?Stan Aaronson: Perception issues aren’t about the economy but about competition. The reason that people have cancelled meetings is not about money but out of fear that the competition will spin it against them.
We were going to produce an event in Surinam, but the client cancelled because the competition got wind of it and was gearing up to make them look bad in the press. I don’t see this kind of thing changing. It just becomes more critical to focus on the purpose of the meeting.
You can read the rest of the article here.
Need a meeeting or conference room? Resources are avaialbe at: Meeting Rooms in Seattle King County.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Fri, May 14, 2010
Ever wonder how to do more in a day? It's time to dig into my bag and share the tricks and tips few know in the upcoming webinar series. Sign up. It's guaranteed to make you think twice about where you spend your time and money each day.
If you are a business owner or manager who is putting in extra time to do twice as much because the pinch is on? There has never been person yet who I have not been able to offer tips to get it done. Your invitation is below. As you can see, Texas On the Go is the sponsor and facilitator.
If you are a tech geek. Skip this. Or if you are and need validation that you know all there is to know? Welcome!
Bring on those questions which have confounded you.
Business owners say:
"It costs too much and too much time is spent on:"
- Researching people and competitors.
- Keeping up with trends in the industry.
- Finding the right person who is interested in your product or service NOW.
- Email - Enough said. Too much time on Email. (Junk)
- Scheduling conflicts.
- Following up on potential customers.
- Following up on "problem customers."
- Staff training.
- Travel time.
- Learning new technology.
- Doing the work the hard way.
- Shuffling the paperwork.
Would business improve if you could save hours each day with researching, phone tag, staff management, paperwork and travel time?
Wouldn't it be great to learn how to get more introductions with less effort and a higher number of people who say "yes"? Aren't you looking forward to riding the tech wave instead of becoming a victim of the tech wave?
It's time to throw away the proverbial hand saw and go for the power saw:
Early bird sign up is waiting for you to click.
Do you want to finally say goodbye to the 20th Century? If you have put it off for ten years, let me help. Sign up
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Tue, May 11, 2010
The rules of business are changing. This new service can add to your success. With Square, anyone can accept credit or debit card payments by downloading the app and plugging a little plastic cube into the headphone jack of an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or Android phone. After a quick swipe of the card through the reader, the merchant turns the device over to the customer to sign his or her name on the touchscreen using a finger instead of a pen. The customer can add a tip, either by percentage or a particular amount, and then enters their phone number or email address. In the best case, the receipt message will buzz in the customer's pocket as an email or SMS text message while walking away with their purchase.
Enter Square with a more transparent alternative. The fee charged for each transaction is 2.75% plus 15 cents. Not the lowest available, but it's a reliable fee regardless of the type of card used. And Dorsey says that Square accepts most every variety of U.S. plastic, and can even be used with cash. The card reader device is an inexpensive piece of electronics--it's not industrial strength, but it does the job and there are alternatives for businesses that need it; Square has already partnered with the makers of the card reader used in Apple stores, which is both sturdier and powered by its own battery.
Want to read more?
Learn more at FastCompany
or at Squareup.com
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Mon, May 10, 2010
Your business can have better success from positive word of mouth. Word of mouth comes in the form of online product reviews. If your business sells on Amazon or eBay then you know they have been using various forms of feeback and reviews for years.
A new program is rolling out as a partnership with industry leader Bazaarvoice, which will provide Google with user-generated ratings and reviews the company gathers on behalf of its clients. Google plans to display product ratings and reviews in its search results and through its advertising programs.
Google said in a recent announcement that the program would likely be adding other vendors in addition to Bazaarvoice, and that a model for merchants to submit their own reviews was also a strong possibility. The gist for e-commerce professionals is that ratings and reviews have become an increasingly important part of the online selling environment, and this latest news from Google represents an opportunity that should not be missed.
To ensure that your business gets visibility, it is highly recommended that you follow the latest trends in user ratings and reviews. As Google’s newest partner, Bazaarvoice is an excellent place to start. There are a few other players in the review business to look at:
Bazaarvoice
Bazaarvoice is providing solutions to enable customers to speak to each other and to their merchants. The name is bizarre enough to be easily remembered. It’s bizarre enough to symbolize a new, “democratized” shopping environment – the shopping environment that the Internet has made possible and will be our future. And it is a bizarrely great idea to enable the voice of the marketplace and help customers build your business.
Is PowerReviews Express right for you?
Choose PowerReviews Express if you are looking for a customer review solution that is:
- Affordable: low monthly fee
- Easy integration: integration wizard allows for quick implementation—takes less than a day
- Compatible with your eCommerce platform: simplified integration with ProStores, Shopify, Infopia and Yahoo
- Award-winning technology tailored for small businesses
What can I do on RateItAll?
You can rate anything.
You can build "Top Ten" style lists about anything. For example, check out this list of US Presidents.
You can take compatibility quizzes in areas such as music and movies and meet people that share your tastes.
You can promote your product, site, brand, self, etc. by adding it to our site to be rated by the RateItAll community. Contact us to add big batches of products to RateItAll.
What is Sazze?
Sazze is a fun, engaging review site that allows users to write about whatever they want on anything they want. It is also a social networking site that brings like-minded people together to share information. We strive to provide the best quality reviews because we feel that quality is better than quantity.
Get Wize Before You Buy
Finding the product that's right for you is hard. Reading thousands of reviews and picking from hundreds of products is difficult and frustrating. It takes a lot of time to make sense of all this information and find the product that fits your needs. We built Wize.com to solve this problem.
Wize gathers millions of product reviews from websites like Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and CNET. Using our proprietary technology we figure out which products are the best for how people want to use them.
Here within lies the vision of Crowdstorm...
Up to 88% of people who buy online research before they buy, but it is a fragmented marketplace where users have to consult multiple sources to extract any relevant information (search engines, retailer web sites, brand sites, customer reviews, expert reviews, shopping comparison sites, and blogs). This can often lead to a time consuming and frustrating experience, especially when different sources give differing opinions, leaving the user to judge which of the sources to trust and are most relevant for them.
What should you do?
Nothing different I hope.
Be extraordinary, connect with each of your customers, execute well, guarantee products and services. Don't try to chase these companies. Your leverage as a small business is to get great feedback consistently and then be known for how amazing you are.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Fri, Apr 09, 2010
A business may need solutions while people are on the go. Anytime you can add a tool to a conversation which can include pictures, it increases the odds for finding a solution. Laptops are too cumbersome for conversations side by side and mobile devices are too small. The iPad from Apple is certainly an eye opener but there are a dozen options for an entrepreneur to consider for business. There are 12 tablet options shown here.
One of the tablets even has two cameras to capture the moment.
This is an important step as sharing information, whether it be side by side or over the Internet, has taken a huge step forward. The question will be: Docking stations. If you can carry your tablet can you dock it at a business office or at a home business? That be a determining factor for my next purchase of a tablet. Here are 12 of the biggest iPad competitors who offer their own tablet.
Another buffet of choices. Comparing the choices more in depth in this article by Paul Toscano, CNBC will take you to the next step.
Before you go there, determine who will be the users, what the working environment is, size requirements, and how it will be used. Selling for a business will have different requirements vs. developing staff for a business. How great will it be when you can hand someone a tablet, have them sit anywhere to watch videos, listen to recordings, read training material, and take tests... all on the tablet you are about to purchase?
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