Google Account Protection
If you use gmail, protect your account with 2 factor authentication. May be a little annoying to take the extra step, but you don't want bad guys in your email!
I have enabled two step authentication on my own gmail account, and it isn't a big deal to reach for my phone to get the verification code from the app Google provides in the Android market, Apple app store, and Blackberry app world.
Being that there are so many hacking incidents occurring, this is a great way to solidify protection of your email account.
http://feeds.mattcutts.com/~r/mattcutts/uJBW/~3/psKInL96Y6Y/
Google Docs Can Do Pivot Tables!
I will let Google do the explaining on this one, but they have finally created a decent implementation of pivot tables in Google Spreadsheets. Check out this help documentation for a walkthrough of how to accomplish this wonderful feat in your own work
Think About Your Next Customer
So, I was sitting in my home office today thinking about the large group of people coming over for dinner tonight and noticed that some work was happening at my neighbor’s house. Apparently, they were getting a new retaining wall. Cool. The crew seemed to be working busily during the first hour of their stay. Their actions and appearance made me think, “I should use these guys if I ever need a retaining wall.” Then, the gravel truck showed up.
Not that I wanted to be the stuffy neighbor, but that crew lost my future business because of what they did next. The gravel truck proceeded to dump a massive pile of rock right in front of my house, leaving the front of their current client’s house squeaky clean. Then, the sod truck showed up and put their sod next to the enormous pile of rocks. Awesome. So, now, the area in front of my house is blocked by junk that should be sitting in front of my neighbor’s home. Parking should be fun tonight.
The situation isn’t dire or anything, but it screams a lack of consideration for those who live around the worksite – for those who are potential future customers. Remember, potential customers are everywhere you go and see whatever you’re doing. Don’t let them down before you even get the chance to prove your value.
M&Ms are EVIL – what really prevents productivity
This is a great video by the founder of 37signals, one of the best web application companies around. They are the creators of my favorite project management tools, Basecamp and my favorite CRM, Highrise. This talk is based off of their book, Rework. Good stuff. Learn something.
Top 5 Microsoft Office Alternatives
Many people think Microsoft’s market-dominating, wallet-draining, feature-packed Office suite is the only productivity software available. This is a list of the pros and cons of MS Office alternatives, which may reveal that you don’t need Office after all.
Google Apps
Pros
- no storage
- web-based
- available from your pc, mac, or mobile device
- spreadsheets, word processor, presentations, drawing program
- great Personal Information Management (Outlook alternative) with gmail, Google calendar, Contacts, and Tasks
- tight integration with Android devices
- no need for syncing software
- FREE! (for offices with under 50 users)
- ever-expanding 3rd party market
- super-easy sharing
- simultaneous editing and collaboration
Cons
- need an internet connection
- Google has your data (if they crash, you can’t get to it. Backup solutions are available, though)
- lacking some more advanced Office features or clumsy implementation of alternatives to certain features, like pivot tables
- no database software
Open Office
Pros
- FREE!
- very comparable to Office 2003 in features
- cross-platform - works on Mac, Linux, and Windows
- no internet connection is required
- large community of plug-in developers
Cons
- lacking in bells and whistles of later Office versions
- no mail, contacts or task management (although Mozilla’s Thunderbird fills all the missing holes)
- no web solution
Apple iWork
Pros
- much less expensive than Office for Mac
- can create cross-platform compatible documents
- Keynote bests Powerpoint in quality and ease
- great built-in templates
Cons
- no Outlook alternative
- Apple platforms only
- Excel provides more features
- no database
Corel WordPerfect
Pros
- tons of features
- much less expensive than Office
- free video training
- PDF annotations and archiving
- great formatting features
- compatible with 60+ file types
Cons
- no web editing or storage (without Sharepoint)
- imports/exports of Office documents can be unreliable
Zoho.com
Pros
- web-based, auto backup
- simultaneous editing and collaboration
- far better features than google docs and spreadsheets
- amazing online notebook application - only rivaled by OneNote
- nearly every kind of app a business could want, all in one place
- affordable prices
- great form creation tools
- tons of features
- Free Outlook calendar sync
- free versions of all apps
Cons
- no mail/calendar/tasks clients
- requires internet connection to edit files
- sometimes overly cluttered navigation
While this is a cursory look at some great Microsoft Office Alternatives, I hope I’ve piqued your interest and have shown that many quality productivity suites exist out there. Good luck and let me know if you choose to go with something besides MS Office for your business.
Bewares of Bells and Whistles – Keep It Simple
Tonight, my wife was showing me a product being sold by a local “web design” company. Because I don’t want to name the product, let’s just say it qualifies as what I would call “eye candy”. This eye candy is not cheap, either, at $500-$1000+ a pop. Now, I love eye candy as much as the next guy. Pretty stuff can be enjoyable. However, as a small business owner, enjoyable shouldn’t be your main concern when making an investment in ANYTHING. Your main concerns should be the message you are sending and what effect it has on potential and existing customers. You must not be lured by the beauty and impressive promises of the next gadget or web concept. You must focus on ROI.
Often, there is little or no return from these additional features, and they may even have a negative effect on your marketing. There are all sorts of examples of extraneous bells and whistles on the web. For example, I saw a web site for a law firm with photo galleries of their office space. Okay, I’m glad they have an office, but I am not going to base my choice of legal representation on who has prettier office furniture. My guess is that their web firm was focusing on bells and whistles and not on generating value for them. The developers should have been working to chronicle the firm’s success in helping their clients and the community.
Adding too many bells and whistles can drown out your message. Your business has a message to share. Whether you’re a pizza restaurant or an insurance agent, you have a message you want consumer/clients to hear. By cluttering your web site with features that don’t add to your message, you risk diluting it. If I were a potential client of our photo-loving law firm, I might think that they care more about their own success than their clients since they chose to highlight their luxurious accommodations instead of how they aided their clients. Today’s web has a very high signal to noise ratio. Make sure that your message is noise free and crystal clear.
Facebook and other free tools or custom development for your web presence
Long title, huh? It's a tough question too. Free tools are very capable these days, and those tools can reach a large audience where they are - on service/social sites like Yelp or Facebook. Custom development is expensive, but it can establish serious credibility for your business. In addition, custom development does not preclude you from taking advantage of the many free tools on the web.
Choosing to invest in a well designed web site or keeping it simple is not cut and dry. If your budget is $10/month and you have time to spare, free tools can be the way to go. if you have some money for a custom web presence and some time, a semi-customized WordPress site might be the best thing for your business. If you have lots of money and no time, you probably wouldn't be reading this post because you would have hired someone to address your concerns already 
Over the next few posts, we'll talk about this question in depth to help you decide what is in your best interest.
Tips for staying focused in a busy world
Lifehacker has a great post on staying focused. I read a while back that Warren Buffett attributes much of his success to his ability to focus. With the ever increasing reasons and ways to gain attention online, keeping focused is key. So, check out Lifehacker's tips for keeping focused.
