The Blog - Where Business Collides with Human Nature

Need More Time? Increase Productivity with IFTTT and Zapier

Almost every everyone carries a cell phone in his/her pocket. When one speaks of cellphones, the conversation turns immediately to mobile applications. Amongst the clutter of many apps, products, and services, it is often difficult to keep on top of things. The more options there are to choose, the harder it is to manage.

What if your email client could organize your emails in folders without having to do it manually? What if you could get a notification every time your competitor made a change on their website? What if you could track all hashtags related to your business? Thanks to automation services like IFTTT and Zapier, you can do all this.

Topics: Free Software apps Productivity

Mindfulness - There is Now an app for That! Lower your Mental Workload.

Mindfulness involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there's a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment.

Mindfulness is a popular method to handle emotions by paying attention to them. It is derived from the Buddhist concept Sati

You may practice mindfulness since a very young age but not realize it. Here are a couple examples:

At Lafayette Elementary School in Northwest Washington, Sofia Parodi recently took a coveted seat at the head of the classroom and asked a fellow fourth-grader to switch off the lights and instructed the class to “Close your eyes and take three deep breaths,” They fell into a familiar rhythm of silently counting their breaths, then sharing their experience with their classmates.. Source: The Washington Post

Mumpreneur Dani Matthews shares the weekly mindfulness schedule she has set. Source: The Huffington Post

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist leader who introduced mindfulness to Westerners (Google got first dibs on him as a guest speaker), once said, “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.” Yet for the majority of sentient beings today, simply getting through an episode of “The Big Bang Theory” without tending multiple screens is a quasi-mystical triumph. Naturally, the architects of our electronic age approach the situation as if it were an engineering problem.

... the architects of our electronic age have invented an app for that!

Topics: apps Personal Development Stress

Three Things to Know About Snapchat for Business Marketing

Today’s small business owners all share a common goal: to get more for their dollar and find the best strategies for small business marketing.  A newer app in the marketing world is Snapchat.  This app is much more than a simple photo and video sharing app. Since its debut in 2011, it primary use has been for fun, but Snapchat is evolving into a marketing tool that has a lot to offer businesses. Marketers who strive to find an out-of-the-box way to reach their target audience, especially those with a younger demographic, are especially seeing the benefits of using the app.  It’s the marketing wave of the future – 77 percent of college students are using Snapchat to send 400 million messages daily.

Topics: Business Software Guerrilla Marketing Social Media Marketing apps

Running a business from a smartphone [infographic]

The ultimate way to manage your business allows you to stay connected with data while on the run.  The smartphone is now a powerhouse with special apps which are available for free or low cost.  This infographic shows the apps which are available to help you stay flexible in your business:

Topics: apps Business Success Tips

6 Free Apps to Bolster Your Online Presence

A strong online presence is essential when it comes to the success of your small business.  In fact, according to the marketing firm Optify, it is vital for websites to appear on Page 1 of Google, especially in the top three positions. These spots receive 58.4 percent of all clicks by web users.

In order to increase your credibility and boost your online profile, you have a couple of options to select from.  You can hire a costly professional in the internet marketing field, or take hold of the reins and find ways to bolster your online presence yourself. 

If you take the route of doing it alone, there are several free applications you can take advantage of to help you.  Read on for 7 brilliant tools you may not know exist:

Topics: Business Software Branding apps

Don’t Leave The Airport Without These iOS Apps

Anyone who has ever traveled on business knows that unique brand of anxiety that comes from being away from the office for extended periods of time. Sure you can call the office to check and make sure the place hasn’t burned down or you can send an email just to check in, but there is still a disconnect. Thankfully there are plenty of iPad and iPhone apps that allow travelers to stay connected to their office, even from across the globe. Here are a few of the best:

Topics: Business Software Free Software apps Business Travel

Build Your Own App for Android or iPhone, No Experience Needed

Building your own app is an option for those who want lower the financial risk.  Small Businesses can go head to head with big businesses by making their own app for a Google Android or for an iPhone.  Without knowing your business plan I can only show you the videoa to demonstrate how to make the mobile apps.

Topics: Free Software apps Mobile Marketing