Liz Wiltsie

Coming Soon

I’ve been writing over at The Hive for a while and it has been taking my attention from this site. I’ll be writing more about BizeeBee and my life there shortly. Stay tuned.

Small Biz Tools: Google Docs

What is it?
A paired down version of Microsoft Word (pre-Word 2007) that allows for collaboration and availablity from anywhere with an internet connection.

Why should you use it?
Everyone loses their data at some point.  Everyone.  Using Google Docs means your most important documents are always backed up.  I know I said something similar about SugarSync.  But Google Docs will also let you share documents with multiple people so you don’t have to worry about which version you and your colleagues are on.  Also, because Google Docs are web based, you don’t have to worry about whether or not everyone is using the same version of Word.  And if you’re buying a new computer and have readily available internet access, you may not need to buy Word.

Who can get the most out of it?
Teams sharing info across platforms and versions, anyone collaborating on the same document, people who want their most important data secure.

Where do I find more information?
Google Docs Website

Facebook Fan Page Custom URL

To change the URL name of your Facebook Fan Page, follow these steps:

1. Go to http://facebook.com/username

2. If you’ve already changed your personal url, there will be a yellow box that says so. Underneath that, it says Set Username for Pages. Click there.

3. There will be a drop down menu of all the pages you administer. Pick one and click Check Availability.

4. Make sure you are sure about this change, you can’t redo it later.

WordPress and the Small Business Owner

I want to talk about self-reliance. Specifically, website self-reliance. As a small business owner, how many times have you wanted to change or add content to your website and not been able to? If you had your website built even 2 or 3 years ago, that is ok. Today, it is unnecessary.

Many of my clients and friends know, I am a GIANT WordPress fan. The ease with which non-coders can edit and adjust web content is stellar. I know some people like Joomla or Drupal better. That’s cool, the theory is the same. A content management system (CMS) lets a business owner edit content for both pages, blog posts, and sidebars. The content is not hard coded into a website, so changing certain parts is super easy.

Take a look at some examples of websites built on WordPress:
Timbuk2
WooThemes
Altitude Branding
Love and Kale

There are many people/companies that can take a design and translate it into a WordPress/Joomla/etc theme. But as a client, you have to ask for this. If you don’t ask, you may get stuck with a website you have to pay to update. When cash is tight, spend the money for a great theme in which you can control the content.

There are also excellent themes (free and paid) that already exist. This is another way to get started. Google WordPress Themes for lots of examples. WooThemes is one of my favorites because they build extra functionality into their themes. WooThemes takes extra time to make sure that you, the small business owner, can change a lot about the look and feel of your theme without having to be a code master. I’m using the Canvas theme on my site now.

Whether you decide to go with a theme that was custom designed, or buy one WordPress will allow you the freedom to update on a whim without worrying about breaking your site. Because let’s face it, small business owners are not often web developers.

Small Biz Tools: SugarSync

What is it?
Online backup plus multiple computer sync. SugarSync allows you to keep your important files constantly backed up AND in sync across multiple computers.

Why should you use it?
SugarSync is seamless. For many of us, we have more than one computer we need to work on. Many times one is a Mac and one is a PC. SugarSync, by way of a small desktop app, keeps your chosen files up to date on any computer you assign. It also has web access, so if you are away from your personal computer you are never away from your most important files. They also use the same encryption that banks do so your data is as safe as it can be on the internet.

Who can get the most out of it?
Professionals on the go, teams sharing files across large distances, anyone who has ever lost a file.

Where do I find more information?
SugarSync Website.

Small Biz Tools: Foursquare

What is it?
Location based competition + social networking. Foursquare is part tour guide, part social network, part coupon. Users check in at locations via their mobile phones (apps are now available for most phones), mention something about the establishment, and get points for checking in. Foursquare crowns the person with the most check-ins as the Mayor of that location.

Why should you use it?
Foursquare connects with Twitter and Facebook to broadcast check-ins of users. Foursquare is one more way to get users talking about your business.

Who can get the most out of it?
Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hang outs. Foursquare is best for socially oriented places.

Where do I find more information?
Businesses should visit Foursquare for Business.
Consumers should visit Foursquare.
Apps can be downloaded in their stores, except for Blackberry download here.

Small Biz Tools: HootSuite

What is it?
Social Media account management. HootSuite allows you to manage most of your social media in one place. Submit one post to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn all at the same time.

Why should you use it?
HootSuite is easy to use and web based. It supports lists in Twitter. Most importantly, it has analytics built in. By using the built in URL shortener, HootSuite will track how many clicks an individual link is getting. You can also schedule tweets for later.

Who can get the most out of it?
Anyone wanting to track the effectiveness of Twitter campaigns. Anyone managing more than one social media account.

Where do I find more information?
HootSuite Website

Small Biz Tools: Groupon

What is it?
Coupons + Group. In each geographic location Groupon sends out one deal per day to a list of people who have signed up for the service. Groupon puts emphasis on picking the right deals and crafting the email so that it is appealing on all levels. Then if a certain number of people buy the Groupon (hence group) the deal is on and everyone who bought can cash in.

Why should you use it?
People sign up to receive Groupon emails because they WANT to know what is out there. They pay attention, and bank on Groupon finding cool deals. Also, Groupon takes a percentage of the sale NOT an upfront fee.

Who can get the most out of it?
Groupon has sophisticated analysis of their users on their site, but the short of it is young, professional women with money to spend who appreciate a good bargain. Anyone with a product or service that appeals to that demographic would be good. Also, be aware that Groupon does have a pretty high success rate, so don’t do it if you cannot support the influx of traffic.

Where do I find more information?
Businesses should go to Groupon for Business.
Consumers should go to Groupon.

3 Reasons Posterous Rocks

I’ve been using Posterous for several months and I recommend it to someone almost every day, I’ll explain why:

1. Post from any email enabled device. I am creating this entire post on my BlackBerry. I know many people have iPhones and can do lots of cool things, but I don’t. But I can email with the best of them. And so can 90 percent of the rest of the people I know. When I was travelling across the country I could email pictures and posts from my phone without wifi access, good times.

2. Pictures. To add pictures to this post I have to attach them to this email. Posterous sizes them and puts them in an excellent gallery, which you can see on my posterous site.

3. Autopost to Everywhere, or only some. Posterous allows you to autopost to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, hosted and unhosted WordPress, and many many more. But I also like that by saying facebook+twitter@posterous.com I can post to just those two places. Autopost plus selectivity.

Those are the big ones for me.

Book Review: Brain Rules by John Medina

The Book: Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina

The Gist: Our brains work in particular ways, knowing some of them will make you a better teacher, student, business person, etc.

The Brilliance: Medina lays out 12 rules that our brain follows and WHY. He also manages to use every single one of them throughout the book. He is writing for maximum impact and retention. He uses funny stories and anecdotes. This book is about a very advanced topic by a very advanced thinker, so you’d think it would be boring or hard to understand. Instead, it is super accessible and funny. I couldn’t get over the fact that I was laughing out loud at a cognitive science book. I think that is the biggest testament to Medina’s brilliance.

Useful To: Anyone who gives presentations, teaches class, holds meetings, listens to presentations, reads, learns, goes to meetings, or any combination of the above. Basically, everyone.