Slacker Manager: The unspoken language of...

Slacker Manager: The unspoken language of...: "

...the office.

If a picture is better than a thousand words, then a person's body language has got to 'speak' volumes.

A lot of the focus on body language at work has been on how to avoid looking all twitchy and nervous.

Not much is mentioned about how to use body language to get people out of your office.

And I'm not just talking about that bare-toothed hiss that you've perfected.

Here are a select few tips for your unspoken pleasure. Some are classics, others are more subtle. All are effective..."

Slacker Manager: How to read a business book

Slacker Manager: How to read a business book: "

Why read?
This is the bottom line, right? If you're serious about your career, your industry and even your contacts, you can't afford to not read regularly.

After all, somebody is reading all those books that are coming out each month, and it's probably the competition for your next client or new gig.

At the very least, the information you're exposed to by regular reading provides great material for icebreakers and small talk.

At the very best, it's a meeting of minds when you run into someone who has been thinking like you and who cites similar influences.

Beyond all that, reading is the trailhead to 'personal mastery.' Personal mastery just means that you have a clear sense of calling, of self and of vocation. Reading widely helps get the ball rolling.

Pay attention to what really gets your heart pumping and what puts you to sleep, and continue down the 'heart pumping' road. Reading alone won't give you personal mastery--you have to actually do stuff, not just read and think about it.

But reading will give you the clues about where to start and what to do."

Solar charger for cell phones or iPods | News.blog | CNET News.com

Solar charger for cell phones or iPods | News.blog | CNET News.com: "

October 27, 2005 12:00 AM PDT

Tired of being tethered to a power outlet? Let the sun shine in, says Dutch firm Soldius.

The company out of Apeldoorn, Holland, has developed a consumer-use solar charger for mobile devices such as Apple's iPod, Research In Motion's BlackBerry or cell phones from Nokia, Motorola and others.

The 5-inch by 3-inch device known as Soldius1 converts solar energy into 6.58 volts at a maximum of 320 milliamperes of power after only about three hours in direct sunlight.
Battery life varies depending on the device, but you can keep it hooked up while in use, the company said.

The charging process starts after 30 seconds, the company said. If the charging process is interrupted, wait 30 seconds and the procedure will automatically restart.
As for wear and tear, as long as you don't dunk it in your bathtub, the solar charger is good for 90,000 charges. That equals five charges a day, 365 days a year, for 49 years, the company claims.

Soldius' internal technology is called Maximum Solar Power Tracking, or MSPT, and the company is working on for laptops, cameras and other portable digital devices..

The universal solar charger kit for iPod and cell phones retails for $109.99 and comes with the solar pad, a mini USB cable, two interchangeable iPod adapters compatible with the iPod, iPod Nano, iPod Mini and iPod Shuffle, as well as five interchangeable mobile phone adapters.

An iPod-only kit retails for $99.99. The cell-phone-compatible kit sells for $89.99."

A business card that talks | News.blog | CNET News.com

A business card that talks | News.blog | CNET News.com: "

October 25, 2005 12:48 PM PDT

Business cards emblazoned with a simple name, company and title are so 2004!

CEO IQ out of Dallas has come out with a business card that functions as an interactive multimedia device.

The programmable, rechargeable rCard can hold up to 1GB of streaming video, text, graphic and photo portfolio content, which you upload via a USB connection.

The little gizmo's 'show don't tell' approach may hold big appeal: Why just talk about your product or service when you can hand out disposable multimedia demonstrations?

The rCard is the size of a credit card (3.5 inches by 2 inches) and just over a tenth of an inch thick. It has its own navigation button and viewing screen and supports AVI, MPEG, MP3, WAV, Flash and Quicktime files. The battery can last for up to four continuous hours of use.

Pricing starts at $25 per card--if you order 250,000. "

Vancouver Community College, British Columbia's No. 1 college

Vancouver Community College, British Columbia's No. 1 college: "

Serving 25,000 full- and part-time students a year in first year university transfer, health, hospitality, business, English as a Second Language, adult basic education, career access, professional and continuing studies, trades, computing, technology, and more!

We have been training graduates for 40 years and currently have three main campuses: King Edward on Broadway, City Centre downtown and the International Education Centre on Alberni Street. "

Netcraft

Netcraft: "

New 1&1 Hosting Packages Start at $2.99 a MonthHosting

Major hosting companies continue to slash prices for hosting accounts and domain names in an effort to attract small businesses launching new web sites.

1&1, the world's largest hosting company, has introduced Beginner Accounts for both Linux and Microsoft servers. The accounts are just $2.99 a month, and include a domain name, 1 gigabyte of web space, 2 gigabytes of email storage, 50 gigabytes of monthly transfer, 150 email accounts and a MySQL database.

The account specs, which would have seemed extraordinary several years ago, are consistent with an industry trend in which providers compete on disk space and bandwidth, rather than price. By offering features consistent with a standard plan in an economy offering, 1&1 seems intent on doing both.

More..."

Netcraft: Google Draws Fire Over Blogspot Spam Blogs

Netcraft: Google Draws Fire Over Blogspot Spam Blogs: "

The explosion of spam blogs on Google's Blogspot hosting service is drawing a chorus of condemnation from prominent bloggers, and has led at least one blog search service to stop indexing posts on Blogspot. The growth of spam blogs has accelerated in recent months, fueled by automated tools that can create blogs on Blogspot and some similar services and populate them with keyword-optimized posts and Google AdSense advertisements.

About 39,000 fake blogs have been created on the web in the past two weeks, according to an analysis by Technorati, or about 4.6 percent of the 805,000 new weblogs created in that period. FightSplog, which has been monitoring new blogs at Blogspot, recently documented 2,763 porn splogs created by a single 'splogger.' Blogspot-based spam blogs recently began featuring names of prominent bloggers in posts, boosting the splogs' visibility in searches at web-based RSS aggregators like Feedster, PubSub and Bloglines.

The move prompted IceRocket to stop indexing new posts from Blogspot.com, according to a blunt post from Mark Cuban, a major investor in IceRocket. Cuban says Blogspot indexing will resume once filters are adjusted, but warned Google to fix the problem or face a permanent ban. Bloggers are also focusing their fire on Google, which has stepped up its splog-squashing efforts in recent weeks but still can't keep pace with the automated instasplogs. 'If your motto truly is to do no evil, then you need to start putting some resources behind an effort to curb this train wreck,' LockerGnome's Chris Pirillo advised Google.

'Page-rank is under attack and the attackers are winning,' writes Dave Winer at Scripting News. 'It won't be long before Google itself is infested. ... It's time for Google to get on top of this. They're both the victimizer and the victim. The spammers found a huge hole in Page-rank."

But Google itself seems to have closed that hole, according to Jeff Jarvis, who noted that searches on Google are free from the splog listings found in identical searches on PubSub and IceRocket, among others. "Google needs to both fix Blogspot and share its secrets for ignoring blogspam," Jarvis writes."

Powerquotes - An Ezine that helps you in Creating Daily Insight and Inspiration

Powerquotes - An Ezine that helps you in Creating Daily Insight and Inspiration: "

Do you enjoy quotations?

Do you want to apply great quotations to your life?

If so, Powerquotes is the weekly ezine for you! Powerquotes offers a quotation plus powerful questions to reflect on. The questions help you create valuable insight and inspiration. Powerquotes is delivered via email every Sunday to provide you with a positive start to your week.

Powerquotes is written for people who want to improve themselves, their situations, their business and their relationships. By investing just five minutes a week, Powerquotes can enable you to begin your week happier and more prepared. To read a sample Powerquote, please scroll down below."

The Globe and Mail: The rules of going it alone

The Globe and Mail: The rules of going it alone: "

Millions of Canadians, including the self-employed, have no company pension plan. If you're one of them, it's a burden you can overcome

By ROB CARRICK
Saturday, October 29, 2005 Page B31

Choose one of the following options if you're part of the unfortunate majority of Canadian workers who are without a pension:
(A) Retire later than your pensioned fellow workers.
(B) Contribute more to your retirement savings plan.
(C) Scale back your spending in retirement.

Let's face it, a company pension is the greatest employment perk going because it gives you a solid foundation on which to build your retirement savings. Without a pension, you'll have to work a lot harder to ensure a financially comfortable retirement."

Globetechnology: Web banking to get security upgrade

Globetechnology: Web banking to get security upgrade: "

If you do banking over the Internet, generally the drill is pretty simple: You enter your user name and password, and away you go.

But behind the scenes, the bank can do a lot to check you out: Are you at your home computer, or at one with an Internet address that, strangely, is registered overseas? Are you logging on at an unusual time of day, or from a super-fast connection when normally you have dial-up?

This kind of analysis is one example of the layers that bank websites will be adding by the end of 2006 to meet new demands from federal regulators for 'two-factor' authentication.

That essentially means checking something more than just user name and password to verify a customer's identity."

Internet Sleuthing Resources

Internet Sleuthing Resources: "

Telephone Directories
AnyWho: White Pages - Yellow Pages - Toll Free - Reverse Lookup - International
AT&T: White Pages - Yellow Pages - Toll Free - Reverse Lookup
InfoSpace: White Pages - Yellow Pages - International - Reverse Lookup
Yahoo: White Pages - Yellow Pages

Search Engines
Best Reach: Google - Northern Light
Best Special Features: AltaVista
Newsgroup Messages: Google Groups
Other Good Choices: Yahoo"

The Globe and Mail: Sellers without borders: Firms clicking with U.S. clients

The Globe and Mail: Sellers without borders: Firms clicking with U.S. clients: "

Exports account for roughly a third of Canada's $1-trillion gross domestic product, and the United States absorbs more than 85 per cent of them.

Tapping into that massive cross-border revenue stream used to be nearly impossible for small Canadian companies that lacked offices south of the border, but that's all changing.

The Internet has bridged the gap between the two economies, and even the tiniest businesses are finding it relatively easy to make the e-commerce crossing. "

The Globe and Mail: Small firms seek remote help for IT problems

The Globe and Mail: Small firms seek remote help for IT problems: "

Under the contract, Downing pays a set price each month to have Markham, Ont.-based Dynamix Solutions Inc. monitor, update and maintain the network. Instead of placing technicians on-site, which would be an expensive option, Dynamix accesses Downing's network remotely to monitor and maintain it, using a secure Internet connection. Mr. Ceolin only pays extra if Dynamix has to send in technicians to fix hardware problems.

The result is that Downing's IT costs are consistent and 'considerably' lower when averaged out, and the network is seldom down, Mr. Ceolin said. If it goes down, 'almost all problems' are solved remotely so there is no extra charge.

Dynamix's remote network monitoring and management prices start at $500 a month, which would cover a company of about 10 employees running a small network, said James Moutsos, Dynamix Solutions president. That's a fraction of what it would cost to have just one dedicated tech expert on staff.

While remote monitoring might sound like insurance, the companies offering these types of services usually do more than just deal with tech crises.

Dynamix, for example, updates small businesses' antivirus software and security patches and monitors the validity of data backups - services that otherwise might not get done and that can prevent problems and downtime."

The Globe and Mail: In the battle against spam, they stand on guard for thee

The Globe and Mail: In the battle against spam, they stand on guard for thee: "

While consumers and small businesses don't have the luxury of corporate IT departments dedicated to reducing the influx of spam, there are software and services that can help.

For example, some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are trying to can spam before it even reaches the recipient. As one of the world's largest ISPs, America Online Inc.'s 28 million members receive about three billion e-mail messages a day. More than 80 per cent of the messages are rejected as spam before they get to the user, said Alex Leslie, vice-president of technology for AOL Canada Inc. But even with a team of 100 AOL staff members combatting spam daily, junk e-mail still makes it through.

E-mail that is not rejected outright as spam is run through additional AOL filtering software on the user's desktop. Suspect messages land in spam folders that subscribers can view to ensure there are no false-positives - legitimate e-mail tagged as spam. They can report spam with the click of a button; reported spam has dropped 75 per cent as AOL has improved filtering, Mr. Leslie said.

Not all ISPs filter spam as effectively. Many small and medium-sized enterprises receive e-mail through Web hosting companies using less sophisticated filters - or none at all. Their users spend hours each week cleaning up the mess."

The Globe and Mail: E-tailer credits cheap billing for success

The Globe and Mail: E-tailer credits cheap billing for success: "

Credit card companies are concerned about on-line fraud - both by criminals posing as consumers and charlatans posing as merchants - so they make it difficult and costly for small and medium enterprises to obtain merchant accounts.

To sell on-line, many SMEs have taken the same route as Ms. Reid and turned to the third-party credit card processing companies that are springing up to cater to small on-line merchants.

Receiving payments on-line is becoming easier for small businesses, thanks to the growing number of services available, but there are still legal considerations.

Merchants who use third-party software to process credit card information, for example, do not receive their customers' credit card numbers and are not responsible for the security of credit card information.

However, they are responsible for compliances under PIPEDA, Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. That means they have to ensure that any credit card processing company they use complies with the privacy provisions of the act, just as many credit card processing companies ensure that potential merchants comply with PIPEDA before signing them up.

That hasn't deterred Ms. Reid from shopping around on the Internet for an on-line payment system. Although CCNow is an American company, Ms. Reid said she has never had a privacy or security complaint from her customers. 'The whole process is straightforward and secure.'

And Ms. Reid particularly likes the fact that her service allows customers to choose to pay in U.S. or Canadian dollars - and soon in euros - truly making http://www.solnapugs.com an international business even though it operates out of her home."

Canada Events Calendar: Find out what is happening across Canada.

Canada Events Calendar: Find out what is happening across Canada.: "
3 Ways to Use the Canada Events Calendar

Looking for events? You can view events by category, event type, city, or the larger geographic region. Scroll down to the 'View Events By' section below, select, and go!

Viewing this on a PDA? Use our simplified handheld device interface.

Having an Event? Create an account and post your listing to the network of sites using the Canada Events Calendar database. Find out more here...

Want to attract regular visitors to your website? Give them fresh content that makes them return! And the best part is you don't have to update it! Click here to get started now...

The Canada Events Calendar (CEC)

So, what's going on in your neck of the woods?

From Activism to Networking Events to Yoga, CanadaEventsCalendar.ca brings you a multitude of ways to find out what is happening in your area and across the country.

Get started by picking the topic you want to explore from the drop-down menus below."

The American Chamber of Commerce in Canada - AmCham Canada

The American Chamber of Commerce in Canada - AmCham Canada: "
The American Chamber of Commerce in Canada brings a special business perspective focused on organizations, which operate some, or a part of their business across the border.

Companies are traditionally of a global, multinational, or trans-national nature.

This includes American companies in Canada, Canadian companies operating in the United States, Canadian or American business that trade across the border, or those from either country with investment links in the other.

Questions & Answers on AmCham

Is AmCham a United States organization?
No. It is an American-oriented organization, operating in Canada with a focus on business between Canada and the United States. It works with other related voluntary associations of commerce in the United States and abroad and is part of the largest business network around the globe, loosely referred to as ‘Amchams'. Like most chambers it is a member-driven organization operated for the benefit of its members.

How does AmCham Canada represent my interests to Government?
AmCham Canada is independently represented as needed in Washington D.C. and elsewhere in the United States of America. In Canada it is registered in compliance with national requirements as a lobby group on behalf of its members.
AmCham Canada focuses on sound and reputable information, clear communication and maintenance of the integrity of its mission in representing members to the best of its ability. Special issues may frequently have many other associations with similar interests and AmCham will work co-operatively where logic dictates.

What is meant by "opportunities for people"?
AmCham Canada recognizes that there is no such thing as business for the sake of business, and that it must be focused on the benefit to and for people. The creation of economic opportunity is a cornerstone for free enterprise and individuals whether they are entrepreneurs, employees, investors or simply customers.
A human-centered world treats opportunities for all humanity as the ultimate business of business. Leaders in AmCham are proud to help create a climate where the next generation of Canadians and Americans can take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the world's two greatest trading partners.
Opportunities for Canadian individuals and the Canadian community will be enhanced through AmCham Canada in order to advance, foster and develop opportunities abroad, in the United States and within Canada."

LTVNEWS.COM - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - Local Television that Clicks!

LTVNEWS.COM - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - Local Television that Clicks!: "

It's Time For A Change
Craig Huckerby
LTVNews.com
Saturday, October 29 2005, 11:27AM

This Sunday morning, as Canadians prepare to turn the clocks back to mark the end of Daylight Savings time, the Better Sleep Council Canada reminds consumers that the benefits of the extra hour of sleep can be achieved every night. According to a new survey(1), 58 per cent of Canadians confess a poor night's sleep results in a less productive day.

And nationally that lack of sleep translates into 48 million hours of lost productivity every week(2).

For many Canadians, changing the clocks back on October 30th helps us wake well rested from a better night's sleep. And for one-third of Canadians (33%), the extra hour of sleep leaves them feeling energized, with more time to spend with family and friends. But let's not be deceived. Our bodies quickly adjust to the time change, and the extra hour of sleep is easily forgotten. The Better Sleep Council Canada stresses the importance of focusing not just on the quantity, but the quality of sleep you get each night.

Sleep directly affects your mood, health and well-being, and for the adult working population, office productivity is at risk from a poor night's sleep.

According to the poll, not even a bad night's sleep will keep Canadians out of the office. Forty per cent say they'll still go to work, but won't be as efficient as usual."

CanadaEventsCalendar.ca

CanadaEventsCalendar.ca brings you a multitude of ways to find out what is happening in your area and across the country.

Feedster (sf) :: RSS Search Engine

Feedster (sf) :: RSS Search Engine: "
Feedster Top 500

Each month, Feedster brings you a list of 500 of the most interesting and important blogs.

Enjoy browsing to see what people are reading, to find feeds that will bring topics of interest to you on a regular basis, and to discover new voices in the Blogosphere."

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs: "

Do you want to start your own business?

The essence of entrepreneurship is the ability to spot an opportunity and the willingness to go after it despite the risks.

Browse the 4,194 business opportunities, letters, books and posts since 2001 to find something to inspire you!"

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs: "
Sarah Bosch continues her reviews this week, with a look at Barry Moltz's You Need to be a Little Crazy: The Truth About Starting and Growing Your Business.

A lunatic is defined in the dictionary as someone who is insane or eccentric. Additionally, a lunatic is often described as wildly and giddily foolish. That's right. To start a business you must be nuts.

Admit this and you have made a good start. But you need to be a certain kind of lunatic. You need to be a lunatic who has a steadfast long-term belief in her vision - a lunatic who will try anything, ask anyone for anything, and see everyone as a source of help.

You also need to be comfortable being alone in your beliefs because the only thing others will agree with you on is that you are indeed crazy."

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs: "
Top 10 Most Practical Blogs for Entrepreneurs

About.com's list of the Top 10 Most Practical Blogs for Entrepreneurs is out:

Small Business Trends
Just for Small Business
WorkHappy.net
Duct Tape Marketing
Home Office Voice
Sacred Cow Dung
The Entrepreneurial Mind
Escape Velocity
BizzBangBuzz
Business Opportunities Weblog

Congratulations to everyone who made the list!

Posted by Dane on October 26, 2005 "

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs: "
The Billion Person Internet

Micro ISV:

According to several estimates, about 1 billion people now use the Internet.

You job is to interest 0.00001 of them in your Micro-ISV's product.

1 Billion exactly? Of course not, but if you look at the stats at www.clickz.com and at www.internetworldstats.com, about a billion people, give or take a New Zealand, is a good ballpark number.

That's a very, very big ballpark, or more precisely, global digital market one click away from your purchase button.

Your challenge as a micro-ISV is to find say 0.00001 of those users (10,000) and find a problem that they

1) have,

2) don't want to have and most importantly,

3) will pay money not to have.

Then do that a few dozen times.

Narrow is good. Narrow is relevant.

Posted by Dane on October 26, 2005 "

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs: "
Three Things Matter

Naveed Ahmed via Evhead:

I think to be a successful entrepreneur only 3 things matter:

A clear vision of where your company is going.

Genuine desire and passion to create amazingly great products/services.

Strong conviction that your product/service is going to make a positive difference in your customer's life.

via BizzBangBuzz.

Posted by Dane on October 26, 2005"

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs: "
Six Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Business Name

Business Know How:

No matter how great a business is, an inappropriate or poorly-chosen name can have a negative impact on its success, especially when first starting out.

On the other hand, a business name that is appealing and memorable can do wonders for a business's bottom line.

Some aspects of selecting a business name are subjective and reflect the personal wishes and preferences of the owner. There are, however, some mistakes that business owners make in naming their establishments that just don't make good business sense.

Avoid these and you'll be on the road to having a business name that will serve as a real asset and hopefully bring many profitable returns.

Getting stuck in alphabet soup

Using names that are too long, or difficult to understand, spell or pronounce

Picking business names that limit business growth

Letting the grey areas get you discouraged or immobilized

Being an island

Failing to check if your chosen business names belong to another business

Posted by Dane on October 26, 2005"

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs: "
Entrepreneurial Escapes
ABC News

Joan Coukos transition from international banker to artisanal chocolatier began when she found a set of chocolate molds at an antique market in Belgium.

I felt like I was on the verge of some discovery, said Coukos. I couldn't put them down.

She began gobbling books on chocolate and making chocolate once a month to bring to work.

When she left banking in the fall of 2001, chocolate became her full-time job. She went to food networking events and chocolate trade shows.

Banks and headhunters called with job leads, but she turned them down,she was up to her elbows in chocolate.

Then, in 2003, she started her New York-based company, Chocolat Moderne.

It's a dream so many people have: Chuck your day job and do the thing you're most passionate about.

A handful of those who leave cubicles to be entrepreneurs succeed wildly, such as handbag maker Kate Spade, who quit Mademoiselle magazine to start her business and now has 15 retail stores and 315 employees.

Coukos, whose chocolates are sold online and in upscale food stores, is energized by entrepreneurship.

I wake up in the morning and I wish I was immediately at work, Coukos said. I can't wait to get here.
Posted by Dane on October 27, 2005"

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs: "
Venture Voice Podcast

I just discovered an excellent podcast called Venture Voice by Gregory Galant. From the introduction:

What does it take to start a successful business? We're working the phone to find the answers by calling entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and their friends and foes.

This podcast (or, for the uninitiated, Internet radio show on demand) features our conversations. Listen to the voices of those living the entrepreneurial life. The excitement, trepidation and ambition heard in their tones gives us a feel for what they're going through.

We're interested in people in all types of industries, those who've already made it big and those who will soon.

We want to hear about failures as well as successes. Start-ups have effects on personal lives in addition to professional lives; we explore both.

If you would like to suggest someone to be interviewed, or have feedback for the show, please contact us.

Venture Voice has recently done interviews with Mena Trott of Six Apart, Jason Fried of 37signals and Tom Szaky of TerraCycle.
Posted by Dane on October 27, 2005 "

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog - Opportunities, news, and links for small business entrepreneurs: "
Is Your Home Business Properly Insured?
Portland Press Herald:

Many homeowner policies provide only $2,500 of business personal property coverage at your house and $250 away from your premises. That will barely cover your desk, file cabinet and computer.

If you are using a garage that's separate from your house for storage or any other business operation, you may be subject to a broad policy exclusion that excludes all coverage for that building.

Your home insurance provides no coverage for business interruption - payment for the lost profits and continuing expenses during the time it takes you to rebuild your business after a fire, windstorm or other insured loss.

Business liability incidents are also excluded by most home policies. A client visiting your home or an injury you cause would not be covered. There is no product liability insurance in a homeowner's policy. Personal umbrella insurance offers no business coverage either.

via Chuck and the MLM Business Opportunities Blog.
Posted by Dane on October 27, 2005"

Kare Anderson | Say it Better Home Page | Communication Expert

Kare Anderson | Say it Better Home Page | Communication Expert: "
Welcome!
Looking for insights to become happier and higher performing with others? You've come to the right place!

At the Say It Better Center you'll find a growing collection of free articles and electronic as well as regular books by myself and other communication experts.

Together let's keep learning fresh ways to cultivate more collaboration, camaraderie, opportunity, and adventure in our lives."

Better Conversations Ezine

Better Conversations Ezine: "
Welcome to conversation-matters.com

Your source for conversation skills, insights, coaching, and seminars. Browse our rich resources to help you to better your talk.

Inside you'll find free articles, tips, quotes, booklets, kits, and Q&A about speaking.


If you are in business or a profession, would you like to:
� Get more customers and clients?
� Increase your profits and income?
� Build business networks?
� Generate new ideas?For your personal and social life, would you like to:
� Improve your relationships?
� Meet and make new friends?
� Gain confidence and poise?
� Boost your self-esteem?

Better conversation skills make these happen. Consult our articles
and products and subscribe to our Better Conversations ezine.

Resources Right Now

Now Available: Better Conversation Kit
New Small Talk Success Tips E-Booklet
FREE E-zine
97 Free Conversation Articles
NEW & REVISED Conversation Mastery Self-Test
Small Talk Scorecard"

Communication Expressway List Info

Communication Expressway List Info: "
Communication Expressway Ezine

Ready to learn how to communicate better in the business world? Subscribe to Judy Vorfeld's Communication Expressway!

Have you ever wanted to understand every aspect of small business communication?Try Communication Expressway, a monthly ASCII text publication. Nothing fancy.

We have The Office Corner, The Tech Corner, and The Writing Corner, Grammar Question of the Month, recommendations, discounts, drawings for prizes, and random surveys. We appreciate subscriber feedback, and often feature interviews with subscribers.

Published monthly, this free text-only ezine helps you communicate effectively through the best possible use of text, layout, technology, and resources."

Highly Horrible Networkers: Their Bad Habits

Highly Horrible Networkers: Their Bad Habits: "
Seven Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers

Networking is a tool vital to the success of any business.

But many people's complete misunderstaning of the term impedes them from building valuable relationships.

Here's how they go wrong and how to put it right.

by Scott Ginsberg

Networking is a term that didn't exist (academically) until almost 40 years ago. It's a word uttered in and around the business world every day, yet is unclear to most as to how it actually works. Still, it's a fundamental tool to the success of any business.

By definition, the term networking is the development and maintenance of mutually valuable relationships.

It's not schmoozing; it's not just handing out business cards, selling, marketing or small talk. Those activities are part of networking, but unfortunately, many people's misunderstanding of the term causes them network ineffectively.

The following are The Seven Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers, and they can stand in the in your way of developing mutually valuable relationships. So, next time you attend your Chamber or Association meeting, keep these ideas in mind so you can offer the most value to your fellow networkers."

Alex de Carvalho

Alex de Carvalho: "
October 6, 2005

LinkedIn finally starts to 'get it'

Ok, the title to this post sounds arrogant and I don't mean it to ... read on.

Konstantin Guericke, LinkedIn's VP Marketing, announced at the Web 2.0 conference a deal with AOL to integrate presence service onto their profile, as per this citation from Forbes:

LinkedIn Corporation, operator of the world's largest business network, today announced that it has signed an agreement with America Online, Inc. to integrate its AIM(R) service into LinkedIn to provide LinkedIn users with AIM presence information, so that they can easily see when their LinkedIn connections are online and available for real-time communications. This new capability for instant text, voice and video communication will give the more than 3.8 million LinkedIn users a new way to maintain and strengthen their relationships with relevant business contacts, such as clients, business partners and former co-workers.

Reid Hoffman, CEO of LinkedIn [says:] "By providing AIM presence information within LinkedIn, we provide our members with another vehicle for maintaining and strengthening existing business relationships.""

Tips for Mastering E-mail Overload : The Leadership Workshop : HBS Working Knowledge

Tips for Mastering E-mail Overload : The Leadership Workshop : HBS Working Knowledge: "
Being at or near the the top of your organization, everyone wants a piece of you.

So they send you e-mail. It makes you feel important. Don't you love it? Really?

Then, please take some of mine! Over 100 real e-mails come in each day. At three minutes apiece, it will take five hours just to read and respond. Let's not even think about the messages that take six minutes of work to deal with. Shudder.

I'm buried in e-mail and chances are, you're not far behind. For whatever reason, everyone feels compelled to keep you 'in the loop.'

Fortunately, being buried alive under electronic missives forced me to develop coping strategies.

Let me share some of the nonobvious ones with you.

Together, maybe we can start a revolution."

Employment Digest

Employment Digest - Career news for experienced executives and technologists: "
Here's my card: It's never too early to start networking
Standing on the 13th green, moments after sinking the putt, I decided it was time to ask for the executive's business card.
After all, we had played two hours of golf together in the charity tournament, chatted about our careers and interests outside of work, and joked about our lacklustre golf skills.
'Do you mind if I drop you an e-mail or give you a call if I have any business-related questions?' I asked.
'Of course, no problem,' she said. 'Don't forget to get my card after the tournament.'
After completing the 18 holes of golf, I sipped drinks and ate hors d'oeuvres with a handful of other people who had not been in my foursome. After some small talk, a few asked me for my business card. (more...)"

SONI Canada presents at VCC

About VCC

Vancouver Community College has been preparing students for success since 1965 and currently offers more than 60 programs designed to train students for a career. VCC graduates possess the skills necessary to excel in their chosen field and are sought after by potential employers.

VCC is proud of its supportive and knowledgeable faculty who brings real-world experience to the classroom. Students gain practical experience and for many programs, a practicum in a local business is an important part of the training.

Our close relations with industry are also an integral component to the success of our programs and graduates. Program Advisor Committees (PACs) meet regularly to discuss curriculum, changing equipment needs and industry trends. Their support is invaluable.

Student dedication and superior instruction combined with committed PACs result in a strong tradition of graduating competent and motivated individuals. We welcome you to work with us at VCC to ensure that this tradition of excellence continues.

Sophistica World Think Tank - Sophistica World Think Tank

Sophistica World Think Tank - Sophistica World Think Tank: "

Tell me that one person can make a difference and I'll tell the world your message.

Will you wake up to the knowledge that we, as a collective intelligent people, working together in trust and harmony, can make our world a better place to live?

Will you recognize your individuality and never back down from this belief in yourself no matter what?

If you can do any one of these things, then I'll tell you we can change, because change is about choices."

How to Keep Others From Ripping Off Your Ideas - Knowledge@Wharton

How to Keep Others From Ripping Off Your Ideas - Knowledge@Wharton: "
'No matter how great the technology or how big the market for it, there is no guarantee that the value from a new technology will go to the innovator,' notes Wharton management professor Sidney G. Winter in a chapter from the recent book, Wharton on Managing Emerging Technologies.

Winter, whose research areas include technological change and competitive advantage, looks at methods by which innovators can realize the gains from their innovation. The topic is especially relevant in such areas as gene therapy, information technology, intelligent sensors, digital imaging and superconductivity, where the benefits of a particular idea or advance frequently don't accrue to the innovator.

As Winter points out, 'many of the gains may go to rivals who have either imitated the innovation or reached similar results on their own. The value could also be captured by buyers or suppliers of other resources involved in the processes of production and use.'"

Winners Never Cheat: Lessons for Today's Business Leaders - Knowledge@Wharton

Winners Never Cheat: Lessons for Today's Business Leaders - Knowledge@Wharton: "
In his new book, Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten) (Wharton School Publishing), Huntsman offers a 'moral compass' for business leaders and others to live by that is based on his own experiences.

In the book, he reflects on his childhood in Blackfoot, Idaho, his family -- he and his wife Karen have nine children and 52 grandchildren -- his position as special assistant to Richard Nixon, his two battles with cancer, and his experiences building an extremely successful business based on 'honest, ethical practices.' "

The 'Masculine' and 'Feminine' Sides of Leadership and Culture: Perception vs. Reality - Knowledge@Wharton

The 'Masculine' and 'Feminine' Sides of Leadership and Culture: Perception vs. Reality - Knowledge@Wharton: "
Workers' general notions about the effectiveness of male and female managers can be as important as their actual leadership abilities or business results, according to a session on gender and leadership at a recent Wharton Executive Education program entitled, Women in Leadership: Legacies, Opportunities and Challenges.

As a result, women executives need to be exceptionally aware of their own leadership styles and strengths - as well as changes underway in their organizations - in order to make an impact, noted program director Anne Cummings, a former Wharton management professor who is now a professor of business administration at the University of Minnesota at Duluth."

Social Networking Portal

Social Networking Portal: "
Welcome To The Social Networking Portal.

This website will connect you with all the resources you need to create your own personal network.

As a first step in improving your network, I would highly recommend joining My LinkedIn Power Forum. Its founder is Vincent Wright, the nicest guy you will ever know. His group contains some of the cream for the crop of networkers who are sharing their knowledge of networking and building up fellow members.

Another resource I would like to highlight is The Networking Community. I highly recommend subscribing to the Dan Williams' newsletter. He is a powerful networker and I have learned a lot from this resource.

If you have any questions or would like some guidance on where to begin, you can join our mentoring program. This program will look at your specific networking needs and assist you to create the network that would be most effective for you.

You may also check out the various Social Networking Seminars, Articles, Blogs, Tools and websites by clicking the links to the left."

SONI Canada to conduct a series of presentations at Focused Networking

Focused Networking is a group of business networking professionals, representing one company per industry, furthering their careers and business through sharing of referrals and networking.

We are committed to providing consistent, customized service and support, enhancing personal and business development to a selected network membership throughout the Lower Mainland.

Focused Networking

Life With Alacrity: Evaluating Social Network Services

Life With Alacrity: Evaluating Social Network Services: "
Evaluating Social Network Services

After a week where I met a number of bloggers and social network / social software people, I decided to try to update my various networks at Ryze, Tribe.Net, LinkedIn, and Friendster.

These are my observations of these social network services after a few weeks of work.

Overview of Social Network Services"

The Virtual Handshake Blog | � Online Networking Tips

The Virtual Handshake Blog Online Networking Tips: "
Posts in Online Networking Tips
10/26/2005
Using Copyrighted Material in Blogs and Forums

Posted in Online Networking Tips, Chapter 13: Netiquette

by Scott Allen @ 12:59 pm

Recently, a relatively new Ecademy member posted an article from my About Entrepreneurs site in his blog without a link and proper attribution. I don't believe that he was trying to claim authorship or doing anything malicious, but he caught some pretty heavy flak about it, both from current and former Ecademists. What he did was wrong, but unfortunately all too common, not because people are willfully stealing intellectual property, but because they don't know any better.

That may seem shocking to those of you who know (or think you know) the proper care and handling of copyrighted material, but in a discussion about the topic on a couple of Ryze networks, I learned that a common sentiment about articles on the Internet was, Spreading the articles around just helps promote them. Why wouldn't someone want their articles posted in discussion forums and blogs, assuming proper credit is given? It's doing them a service.

Here's what I wrote in response to the blog in question about blogs, forums and copyright, with a few additional thoughts and resources. Please take a read. Even if you think you know all about copyright and blogs, there might be a thing or two you hadn't considered."

The Virtual Handshake Blog | � Preventing Flame Wars: Two Basic Principles of Netiquette

The Virtual Handshake Blog | � Preventing Flame Wars: Two Basic Principles of Netiquette: "
8/2/2005
Preventing Flame Wars: Two Basic Principles of Netiquette
Posted in Online Networking Tips, Chapter 13: Netiquette
by Scott Allen @ 11:22 pm
There seems to have been a surge of highly emotional debates on several of the networks I'm on lately, including my own Virtual Handshake Network on Ryze.
I expect this on, say, Slashdot or other topical networks where people are anonymous, but it really surprises me that people engage in this in a business networking context.
No one looks their best when they're bickering.
There are two simple principles of netiquette that you can use to help prevent escalation of these conversations into flame wars"

Atomica Creative Group: Strategic Marketing Consultancy

Atomica Creative Group: Strategic Marketing Consultancy: "

FREE Trade Magazine Subscriptions

No hidden or trial offers, and no purchase necessary. Publications are absolutely free to professionals who qualify.

Sales and Marketing
Retail
Purchasing and Procurement
Industrial and Manufacturing
Executive Management
Internet
Food and Beverage"

Making a good start is all relative - Next - Technology - smh.com.au

Making a good start is all relative - Next - Technology - smh.com.au: "

OPINION REVIEWS RESOURCES IT JOBS

By Brad Howarth
October 18, 2005

IT entrepreneur Konstantin Guericke recommends staying focused and mastering on one area of business before trying to branch out.

One of the most important lessons Konstantin Guericke has learned in his time in Silicon Valley is the importance of professional relationships for finding employees, business partners, and most importantly, funding.

Hence it was a logical progression that the company he co-founded with four others in March 2003, LinkedIn, has a business model based on managing and building relationships."

Change This

If you get a chance. Check out the site listed below.

"ChangeThis is creating a new kind of media. A form of media that uses existing tools (like PDFs, blogs and the web) to challenge the way ideas are created and spread.

We're on a mission to spread important ideas and change minds."

Online networking clicks among friends / And investors sense profits from Web sites linking people

Online networking clicks among friends / And investors sense profits from Web sites linking people: "

Reyhan Harmanci, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, October 23, 2005

Before the Internet, social life was both simpler and more complicated. To keep up with friends, you actually had to see them. To organize a party, you had to pick up the phone. To get a date, you had to have chemistry.

Now, thanks to the miracle of online social networking sites, you can manage your friends without taking your hands off the keyboard.

Social networking has become one of the most popular applications on the Internet in the wake of the dot-com bust.

There is now a social network site for practically every subgroup, no matter how weird, niche or pragmatic.

SmallWorld.net is an invitation-only site restricted to jetsetters.

Dogster.com caters to dog owners.

LinkedIn.com serves professionals who want to foster new business ties.

Meetup.com helps people plan events. "

American Chamber of Commerce in Canada set to launch LinkedIn Group

Toronto, Ontario - November 1, 2005 - The American Chamber of Commerce in Canada (AmCham) is set to launch its own 'LinkedIn' Group. The AmCham LinkedIn Group will be open to members only and will allow members to connect with members of all AmCham chapters in Canada - Alberta, Atlantic Canada, Quebec & Ontario, - as well as with contacts in the United States and throughout the world. "LinkedIn will offer AmCham members a means to accomplish strategic networking tasks that are not possible using traditional networking methods," said Victor Sinclair, executive director of AmCham Canada. "We ran a six month introduction period that has been very successful and we are now rolling it out for all members."

LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) is an online business networking tool that enables existing business professionals to enhance their networking effectiveness. It can be used to connect with potential clients or partners, recruit job candidates, find experts and acquire valuable information on a local, national and global scale. Currently there are over 4 million professionals using LinkedIn around the world.

AmCham Members will enjoy the following benefits:

1. Maintain a networking presence 24/7.
2. Build relationships faster by using intermediaries within LinkedIn
3. Receive introductions from trusted sources.
4. Leverage the contact management tool features.
5. Post and receive endorsements from other members.
6. Focus searches amongst group members using criteria such as industry, past and present companies and expertise, language, universities attended and organization one belongs to.

"The concept of business online networking is still fairly new so we will hold workshops to educate AmCham members about the effective use of this tool", said Tatsuya Nakagawa, President and CEO of Atomica Creative Group, and chair of the new AmCham E-Networking Committee.

To join the AmCham LinkedIn Group, you must be a member of AmCham Canada. Please contact the AmCham office at info@amchamcanada.ca or Tatsuya Nakagawa at tnakagawa@atomicacreative.com

Click here for a quick online overview of LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/static?key=tour_flash

Fast Company | The Clear Leader

Fast Company The Clear Leader: "

Turn Anxiety into Confidence

For a leader, the challenge is that in every society ever studied, people fear the future.

The future is unstable, unknown, and therefore potentially dangerous.

So in order to succeed, leaders must engage our fear of the unknown and turn it into spiritedness.

By far the most effective way to turn fear into confidence is to be clear -- to define the future in such vivid terms that we can see where we are headed.

Clarity is the antidote to anxiety, and therefore clarity is the preoccupation of the effective leader. If you do nothing else as a leader, be clear. "

Teach Others and Boost Your Business

Teach Others and Boost Your Business: "

By Entrepreneur.com Staff

7/22/2005 10:38 AM EDT

Whoever coined the phrase 'Those who can, do; those who can't, teach' obviously wasn't a teacher or an entrepreneur.

Teaching others about what you know best -- your business -- is a great way to publicize your company, attract customers, boost your credibility, get in touch with future captains of your industry, find employees and maybe even make a few extra bucks.

Take Leza Raffel, 33, president of Communication Solutions Group in Jenkintown, Pa. Raffel gives 30 seminars per year on 'Mega Marketing on a Shoestring Budget' for associations, chambers of commerce and trade groups. 'I present the programs at no charge and get great business leads from students of the workshop,' she says.

If the thought of teaching gives you flashbacks of yardstick-wielding nuns, you need a refresher course in this business booster. Here are four ways to cash in on teaching"

How to Find Those MIA Customers

How to Find Those MIA Customers: "

By Entrepreneur.com Staff

7/22/2005 10:45 AM EDT

How's business these days? Is everything going along swimmingly -- or have you recently thought to yourself, 'Help! I don't have any customers!'?

Don't laugh -- even if you've never felt that way, other business owners know the feeling all too well. In fact, I've come across clients in this situation more times than I can count.

What generally happens is that the business runs along fine for a long period of time and then suddenly, everything goes 'haywire.'

The reasons behind the haywire can be discussed another time, but for now, because you need to get out of that type of situation as quickly as possible, let's look at how you can turn this around quick! "

Ottawa Business Journal - Home Page

Ottawa Business Journal - Home Page: "

Scotiabank's 2005 Small Business Week survey found 90 per cent indicating they believe that one year from now, their business will perform as well or better than it does today.

'The small business segment in particular has benefited from the good economic climate Canada has experienced in recent years,' says Diane Giard, vice-president of small business banking at Scotiabank.

Despite their optimism, a high percentage of business owners expressed concern about the financial aspects of running their small business. When asked, 90 per cent listed taxes as a concern, while 87 per cent said they were worried about energy prices and 84 per cent were concerned about the economy.

'The growing concern with business input costs such as energy and insurance ... will start to hamper small firms' expansion and hiring plans if action isn't taken. The most obvious course of action would be to lower the overall tax burden to alleviate the pinch small businesses are feeling,' says Catherine Swift, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
Other areas of concern for small business owners include dealing with government regulation, business insurance, expansion and growth of the business and finding qualified employees. "

1.1 Identify Your Financial Needs - Introduction

1.1 Identify Your Financial Needs - Introduction: "

If you're thinking of expanding your business, you'll probably need extra funds to help finance the cost. But how do you determine how much you'll need? Your own company will probably cover some costs, but, ultimately, you'll be borrowing from others. They'll want to know that you're a good risk. It's up to you to prove it.

Key Questions

Can you answer these key questions about your plans for future growth?

In Step 1, you take the first important step toward your business's growth. You will gain an understanding of the financial groundwork that must be done (on several fronts) and be better prepared to take actions that will move you forward.

As you look at the scope of the financial work involved, you might decide that you're going to need help and advice from others. This Step will point out some likely resources for you to turn to. In any case, the overview you gain here will keep you on top of the process.

If your finances are already carefully managed and in good order, you're beginning from a position of strength. Well-organized, thorough financial records are a critical starting point for the next levels of financial information you'll need to develop. And if you have good relationships with your banker, your accountant and your lawyer, their knowledge of your current business is another strength to build on. "

Fast Company | Small Business Intelligence Center

Fast Company | Small Business Intelligence Center: "

Small Business Intelligence Center

Strategies for managing growth and achieving success"

The Great Debate: Quality or Quantity?

The Great Debate: Quality or Quantity?: "

by David Teten and Scott Allen

Technology can help you maintain high-touch relationships with a large number of people. But just how large should that number be?

Experts have long debated just how big your professional network should be. Should you focus more on the quantity or quality of your relationships? The easy answer, of course, is 'both.' Unfortunately, though, there are only so many hours in the day. Building and maintaining relationships take time; building stronger relationships takes more time.

Given that your time is limited, the number of your relationships and the average strength of your relationships end up being inversely proportional. The more people you know, the less well you know them. If you want to build stronger relationships, you're going to have to do so with a smaller number of people. You can spend all of your time with your close friends and family (strong ties, low number), or spread yourself thin across a wide number of people (weak ties, high number). However, maintaining both high strength and high number is physically impossible. How can you find the proper balance between strength and number?

This debate has been exacerbated by the proliferation of social networking sites that make it feasible to have a personal 'network' of several thousand people. The leaders of some of the networks have taken some strong stands on the issue"

No Time to Network

No Time to Network: "

No Time to Network

by Keith Ferrazzi

Stressed out because you can't find time to network? Don't worry. Let the networking time come to you.

No matter how often we pledge to dedicate more time to develop more meaningful relationships with colleagues and partners, we're still as busy as ever.

So how can we build more relationships, when we already have so many things competing for our time? We're constantly on the go just to keep up with work, family, friends, and perhaps children. Not to mention all the things that just keep coming up -- taking the car to the mechanic, going to the dentist, or spending an afternoon at the DMV.

If you're stressed out because you can't fit in any time for networking, my advice is this: Don't.

That's right. Don't even try to squeeze it in. Instead, focus on meeting people more often during the things you already have to do.

That way, you can relax and let networking time come to you."

Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) Home Page

Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) Home Page: "

Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals
1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 600
Alexandria, Virginia 22314, USA
T: +1.703.739.0696
F: +1.703.739.2524
E: info@scip.org
W: http://www.scip.org/"

Primary Intelligence: Sales Optimization through Win Loss Analysis

Primary Intelligence: Sales Optimization through Win Loss Analysis: "
Primary Intelligence, Inc. is a leading provider of predictive sales analytics and sales intelligence solutions for managing and servicing sales infrastructure to the world's leading companies.
Primary Intelligence provides clients with concise, actionable intelligence that allows them to make correct decisions about their target markets, products, and strategies."

Barnes & Noble.com - Book Search: social networking

Barnes & Noble.com - Book Search: social networking: "

We found 3,404 titles with the keywords 'social networking.'

Sorted by: Bestselling"

Pacific IT

Pacific IT: "

Pacific IT is now 'LinkedIn'

Saturday, August 20, 2005

OK. Let's say you want to meet Bill Gates (well, maybe you don't, but I do!). Now sending an e-mail to Bill might get an autoresponse or one of his secretaries checking you out to see if you're a loonie or something. How can you get that 'personal referral' to get you in the door? Get someone who Bill trusts to introduce you! Impossible you say?

Well not with the hot new online social networking site called LinkedIn. In Vancouver, the cream really has risen to the top on this one as many social networkers are using the system to find out which people they know! I've been amazed at who the people in my network know and have been introduced to many I wanted to learn know more about.

Business opportunities? You bet! There is no better online system out there providing this.

One of the 'kings' of networking in Vancouver is Tatsuya Nakagawa of Atomica Creative Group. He already tops over 1,000 people in his network and he continues to grow it every day! Does this dilute the potency of 'personal' contacts?

'Not at all', says Tats. 'The secret to LinkedIn is making it another means of building relationships in business. If someone asks for me to refer them to someone else in my network, I'll ask them to provide more information through e-mail or a phone call. Once I'm confident about who they are, I have no problem passing their name along. If I'm not, I'll simply decline the request.'

Or, connect right now! pacificIT is excited to announce the birth of it's LinkedIn group! That's right, even if you presently are a member, you can gain even better and easier access to other members of this group by joining pacificIT.

If you're not a member, this is the best time and place to join. AND IT'S FREE! To join, click or copy and paste:

http://www.pacificit.ca/linkedin

Written by Robert Sanzalone"

Improving LinkedIn?

Here is the blog maintained by Robert Leathern - the marketing director at LinkedIn.

http://www.wherewire.com/blog/
Rob's Bio: http://www.wherewire.com/blog/abtauth.htm
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=31597

He's a great person to direct comments and feedback regarding LinkedIn. FOR EXAMPLE - making it so that you can search Provinces or Cities in Canada. Feel free to remind him.

National Business Innovation Centres

National Business Innovation Centres: "
The paradox of entrepreneurship
By Alex Tana

Ok, you have for some time been sick and tired of working for other people and you have decided to start up your own business. You have mustered the necessary courage and have finally made the decision that it's time to work for yourself, doing what you like, when you like it. Great! You start to feel the excitement and a sense of expectation filling your heart as you boldly face what the future is going to bring you. After all many other corporate people have taken that step and you are just following their lead. All this sounds so fantastic, doesn't it?

In many ways it should and it certainly could be so. The reality however tells a different story. It should not surprise us then that one out of five new businesses fail in the first year of trading and one in three fail within the first three years (DTI figures). I wonder why? What is causing such failures? What is the problem?

The fact is that anyone can start a business but not everyone has the ability to maintain and develop it successfully. The hard reality is that your previous corporate experience is not what will make you an entrepreneur. At best it would make you a good start up business but it takes much more to make you an entrepreneur. Anyone can start their own business if they have the guts to do so; but not many are going to be entrepreneurs.

The fact is that there is a paradox contained in being an entrepreneur. On one hand you need to run a successful and growing business that will produce enough income and revenue. What all this means is that you need to focus very clearly on what might be successful and well accepted in the market place. On the other hand, if you really want to be an entrepreneur, you need to be able to be a pioneer; take risks, going against the flow and somehow..."

ExpertCast is a digital marketplace for personal and professional development resources.

ExpertCast is a digital marketplace for personal and professional development resources.: "
www.expertcast.com

ExpertCast is a digital marketplace for personal and professional development resources.

We understand that time is your most precious resource, which is why all the resources we sell are quick and easy-to-understand summaries of complex topics.

We deliver your orders instantly after payment, using our completely automated downloadable system.

If you have any new topic ideas, contact us.

To receive a free sample of 'Becoming a Super Achiever: The Requirements of Success' click the button below."

Effective Meetings, Your Meeting Resource Center

Effective Meetings, Your Meeting Resource Center: "
EffectiveMeetings.com

Whether you're a newcomer to meetings or a seasoned pro, the EffectiveMeetings.com resource center offers hands-on meeting advice for every possible situation.

Plus, our sage advisor, the Meeting Guru, will help solve your meeting dilemmas. "

Business in Vancouver Special Publications - How To

Business in Vancouver Special Publications - How To: "
The How To Book

Business Advice

Now in its seventh year of publication, The How To Book has become a pillar in the Business In Vancouver roster of publications. Readers have come to depend on it for expert advice on everyday decisions faced by executives and entrepreneurs alike.

A review of issues from recent years offers an intriguing snapshot of the ever-shifting priorities that dominate the agenda of local businesses. The 2001 edition was jam-packed with advice for thriving in the new economy, with articles about registering domain names, recruiting online, creating a global intranet and securing sensitive electronic data.
The 2002 edition reflected a more sobering business climate, with advice about surviving in uncertain times, protecting employees when disaster strikes, and beating stress.

This year's How To Book suggests a more communal spirit among local enterprise, with advice about team-building, working with Aboriginal groups, resolving disputes, and working with coaches to grow your business.

Other topics this year include updates on past favourites, such as advice on recruiting, and working with printers and graphic designers. Electronic commerce reappears this year after a one-year hiatus, with practical advice on how to incorporate e-business into your small business without spending a ton of money.

You'll want to keep The How To Book nearby throughout the year to help you through the myriad decisions facing you in your daily work life. "

: "
Business Web Links

Start getting exposure today

This is a great way to increase traffic to your website with our package deal.

This promotion includes your text and company logo weekly in Business in Vancouver, as well as in this directory with a link to your site.

You will also become the Site of the Week on a rotaional basis.

Business Web Links are a cost-effective marketing investment.

Call Cathy at 604-608-5146 or e-mail:classifieds@biv.com for more details.

Looking for Vancouver business resources on the Web?

Here's your starting point.

SITE OF THE WEEK:"

Business in Vancouver - Colour Series

Business in Vancouver - Colour Series: "
Continuing in the tradition of being the region's leading provider of local business intelligence, Business in Vancouver is creating a series of four special publications in 2005 that will focus on a primary aspect of business.

These are identified by one of four 'related' colours.

The BLACK Edition brings you articles on profitability and taxation, exploring some of the ways to ensure that your company keeps its books 'in the black.'

The GREEN Edition examines how businesses can enhance their environmental and social performance through the application of prudent sustainable practices.

The BLUE Edition helps make sense out of some of the best business and personal investment strategies from a bewildering array of financial opportunities. Publication: September 2005

The WHITE Edition looks at how a business can clearly communicate its corporate vision by alignment with charitable organizations and the benefits it can reap through philanthropic
endeavours. Publication: December 2005

Profitability, Sustainability, Sound Investment Strategies and Corporate Philanthropy are Business in Vancouver's primary colours of business. We hope you enjoy and find value in this series.

Tom Siba, Publisher
Business in Vancouver

Business in Vancouver is an award-winning weekly newspaper serving Greater Vancouver since 1989.

Targeted at business decision-makers, it provides local business news and information every Tuesday and reaches more than 60,000 readers a week.

Business in Vancouver is available through subscription or at the newsstand."

The Business Troubleshooter

The Business Troubleshooter: "Hilgers-Quigley Management Systems Presents Hubbard Administrative Technology Business Troubleshooter

Which area of your company has a problem?

Click on the Organizational Chart link below that best describes your business problem area.

The Business Trouble-shooter is a public service of Hilgers-Quigley Management Systems, experts in quality management systems."

Email etiquette rules for effective email replies

Email etiquette rules for effective email replies: "

emailreplies.com

This site explains how to send effective email replies.

It discusses why email etiquette is necessary, lists email etiquette rules, and explains how to enforce these rules by creating a company email policy.

Email etiquette

It is amazing to find that in this day and age, some companies have still not realized how important their email communications are.

Many companies send email replies late or not at all, or send replies that do not actually answer the questions you asked.
If your company is able to deal professionally with email, this will provide your company with that all important competitive edge.

Moreover by educating employees as to what can and cannot be said in an email, you can protect your company from awkward liability issues.

This website discusses the main etiquette rules and provides advice on how employers can ensure that they are implemented.

'By requiring employees to use appropriate, businesslike language in all electronic communications, employers can limit their liability risks and improve the overall effectiveness of the organization's e-mail and Internet copy in the process'
- Excerpt from 'Writing Effective E-mail', by Nancy Flynn and Tom Flynn.

Why do you need email etiquette?

What are the email etiquette rules?"

Resources: Social networking for career success

Resources: Social networking for career success: "
by Beth Blakely | More from Beth Blakely | Published: 10/25/04

Takeaway:
Use these resources to help you find valuable business contacts in the virtual and real worlds.

We've all heard the adage, 'It's not what you know, but who you know,' and it's especially true when you're searching for employment.

Many of the best jobs are unadvertised, so networking helps you to find hidden opportunities.

Further, when you use someone you know to introduce you to a possible employer, you've got the benefit of a ready-made reference going into the relationship.

We've gathered a few resources to help you make business networking a part of your everyday life.

Resources for making valuable business contacts

Networking has become such an important part of career development that several social networking portals have recently emerged. Sites like Spoke and LinkedIn aim specifically to help users make meaningful business connections.

If you'd like to learn more about these types of sites and which might best suit your needs, check out this white paper:

Online Social and Business Networking Communities
This white paper provides a look at recently developed social networking portals that allow users to create and maintain a network of close friends or business associates for social and/or professional reasons. The main types of social networking sites are classified, and the paper also provides an evaluation of their features and functionality."

BBC NEWS | Business | How best to promote your firm

BBC NEWS | Business | How best to promote your firm: "
Advertising can be expensive, but it certainly works

As Lord Leverhulme, the founder of consumer goods giant Unilever, once famously said: 'I know that half of my advertising is wasted, I just don't know which half it is.'

Yet if one of today's small businesses wants to best boost their advertising or wider marketing efforts, what would be their best course of action?"

100 Ways to Be a Better Entrepreneur

100 Ways to Be a Better Entrepreneur: "
100 Ways to Be a Better Entrepreneur

Learn how to run and grow your business more effectively and efficiently.
August 04, 2005

Need help reenergizing your business? Out of creative ideas for reaching your business goals?

We've compiled a list of the top 100 tips to improve your business.

Consider it your checklist for maintaining a successful business. "

Build Relationship Build Income http://brbIncome.blogspot.com

Build Relationship Build Income
http://brbIncome.blogspot.com: "
Build Relationship Build Income

http://brbIncome.blogspot.com

'You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.'
~Zig Ziglar

'In order for things to change, YOU must change.' ~Jim Rohn

*Build Relationship and Build Income Faster.

*Modify your methods to serve and mentor other people.

*DESIGN THE LIFE you want and GET THERE FASTER through networking for others."

NSBSG - North Shore Business Success Group

NSBSG - North Shore Business Success Group: "
Welcome to the North Shore Business Success Group.

NSBSG is an independent, non-profit business networking group that exists to specifically serve small business owners and entrepreneurs in the North Shore area of Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (North & West Vancouver, Lions Bay and Bowen Island).

However membership is open to any company within the Lower Mainland area.

'NSBSG's mission is to promote small business in general and specifically to aid, enhance and motivate each other in our respective business enterprises. Our desire is to expand the knowledge and personal network base of each and every one of our members and to make them better at what they do.' "

Event Vancouver, Vancouver Event Planners, Event Planning Vancouver

Event Vancouver, Vancouver Event Planners, Event Planning Vancouver: "
Gracious Host

Planning a Vancouver Event?

Vancouver Event Planner Alice Zhou Makes Business Boom!

We're your shortcut to SUCCESS!

We do it by bringing new clients to your open house, business networking. We can also increase your employee motivation and productivity by rewarding them with summer BBQs, Christmas parties, and other team building events. If you want to double your clients without lifting a finger, call 604 676-1587 and ask for Vancouver's Networking Queen.

What We Do?
Networking Events, Speaking Engagements, Business Development Seminars.

How We Help?
As Professional Event Planners-We design & coordinate all the details of your social event or networking event to ensure your guests are impressed.

Contact Gracious Host Events today!
Call now to book your free 30 minute consultation
604.676.1587 or email alice@gracioushost.ca"

Women Business Owners of the Lower Mainland, BC

Women Business Owners of the Lower Mainland, BC: "
Association of Women Business Owners of the Lower Mainland, B.C.

Tel:
604.878.6699
Fax:
604.990.0961

Assoc. of Women
Business Owners
1000 - 355 Burrard St.
Vancouver, BC
V6C 2C8

Background:
The Association of Women Business Owners (WBO) is one of the longest established women's business groups in Canada. From a modest beginning in 1978, we now enter our 25th year of supporting and encouraging women in business. We achieve this very simply, through regular dinner meetings with topical presentations from leading speakers and business people that can offer practical and applicable business ideas to help your business grow and prosper.

Who Attends:
You are welcomed at WBO dinner meetings and special events, whether you have an established business and are looking for opportunities to network and learn how to grow further, or are just thinking to start a business and are seeking advice and contacts. There are many opportunities to mentor and be mentored within the group.

Event Format:
The WBO meets regularly (about 8 times per year) at The Vancouver Club, 915 West Hastings St. (downtown at Burrard /Hastings). Evenings are usually Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 6-9pm. See 'All Events' for this year's dates.

See you soon, and often!"

Company of Friends FAQ

Company of Friends FAQ: "Company of Friends FAQ
Welcome to the Company of Friends, Fast Company magazine's global readers' network.

Through the CoF, Fast Company helps readers and forward-thinking business leaders and innovators connect, communicate, and collaborate with other leading readers - online as well as face to face in communities around the world.

The Fast Company team has compiled this list of frequently asked questions to help you and other newcomers learn more about the Company of Friends.

If you read this and your needs and questions have still not been addressed or answered, feel free to email Heath Row, Fast Company's social capitalist and founder of the CoF, at heath@fastcompany.com. He'll do his best to help you.

What is a FAQ?
What is Fast Company?
What is the Company of Friends?
What are the benefits of membership?
Does it cost anything to join the network?
What will Fast Company do with my registration information?
What will other CoF members do with my information?
What do CoF groups do?
How often do local CoF groups meet?
OK. I'm sold. How can I sign up?"

Build Relationship Build Income http://brbIncome.blogspot.com

Build Relationship Build Income
http://brbIncome.blogspot.com: "Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Your Success And Others - Max Steingart
YOUR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON THE SUPPORT OF OTHERS

You do not exist for yourself.
The only hurdle between you and what you want to be,
is the support of others.

Put yourself in another's place,
and you'll know why they think and do certain things.
You can succeed fastest by helping others to succeed.

Always think in terms of what the other person wants.
You'll get everything in life that you want
if you'll help enough other people get what they want.
Doing things for others always pays dividends.

You're not an isolated island.
You're a piece of the planet, a piece of the universe.
Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement,
all success, all achievement in real life grows.

Help someone's boat across a river and you'll find
your own boat has reached the shore too.


Click Here to Visit Site


c2005 by Max Steingart www.maxsteingart.com
Reproduce freely but maintain c notice"

Top 10 Points to Building a Prosperous New Business

Top 10 Points to Building a Prosperous New Business: "From Idea to Revenue: Top 10 Points to Building a Prosperous New Business
By Rod Richardson

Starting a new business can be relatively easy. Breaking through to revenue can be more difficult; and sailing off into prosperity is an achievement few experience. Where do new ventures break down? Contemplate these ten points and see if your venture measures up.

1. Find out if your idea is financially feasible
Can the business you are proposing make money? Having an accountant run a financial projection of future cash flows and expenses will help you determine if your new venture is worth pursuing. The time to do this is at the very beginning of the new venture. Understanding financial potentials will help you make important decisions about investing cash and time into your new enterprise.

2. Sell things that people want to buy
DO NOT start with an idea, produce it and then try to figure out who is going to purchase it. Companies like Sony can do this, because they have a billion dollar research and development budget. A friend of mine said, "Most farmers see a plot of land and decide to grow a crop. At the end of the year they harvest it and look for a buyer. If I were a farmer, I wouldn't put a seed in the ground until I knew who was going to buy my crop."
Several years ago, I launched a company that sold unique products from around the world. My investors would always say, "Do people really buy this stuff?"
As it turned out, people didn't buy that stuff, even after spending several hundred thousand dollars in marketing.
The need for your products should be obvious. The more definite the demand for your products is, the easier it will be to raise capital for your business."

The Vancouver Small Business Meetup Group - Meetup.com

The Vancouver Small Business Meetup Group - Meetup.com: "Join The Vancouver Small Business Meetup Group

Organizer:
Robert Sanzalone

Asst. Organizers:
Rob

Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Members: 262 Business Owners

Rating: 87% positive

Membership dues: $5.00 per event Learn more

Everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves.
A group that can open doors, make miracles happen, and where dreams do come true.
This is the group where that can happen for you! We look forward to meeting you. "

InFlow - Social Network Software

InFlow - Social Network Software: "InFlow 3.1 - Social Network Mapping Software

The InFlow screen above shows communities of practice in a scientific lab of a large organization, and how they share knowledge with each other.

The Corporate Leadership Council describes Organizational Network Mapping as 'The most accurate, systematic means yet seen to identify key value creators and informal knowledge communities that drive corporate core competencies.'

InFlow has been successfully applied in the following projects...

Team Building
Locating Expertise
Workforce Diversity
Organization Design
Internetwork Design
Diffusion of Innovations
Post-Merger Integration
Investigative Journalism
Knowledge Management
Leadership Development
Mapping Terrorist Networks
Industry Ecosystem Analysis
Discovering Key Opinion Leaders
Network Vulnerability Assessment
Community Economic Development
Discovering Communities of Practice
Analyzing Protein Interaction Networks
Mapping and Measuring Information Flow
Contact Tracing in Contagious Disease Outbreaks

'The best method to control something is to understand how it works' - J. Doyne Farmer

InFlow performs network analysis AND network visualization in one integrated product - no passing files back and forth between different programs like other tools."

How to do Social Network Analysis

How to do Social Network Analysis: "An Introduction to Social Network Analysis

Social network analysis [SNA] is the mapping and measuring of relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations, animals, computers or other information/knowledge processing entities. The nodes in the network are the people and groups while the links show relationships or flows between the nodes. SNA provides both a visual and a mathematical analysis of human relationships. Management consultants use this methodology with their business clients and call it Organizational Network Analysis [ONA].

A method to understand networks and their participants is to evaluate the location of actors in the network. Measuring the network location is finding the centrality of a node. These measures help determine the importance, or prominence, of a node in the network. Network location can be different than location in the hierarchy, or organizational chart.

We look at a social network, called the 'Kite Network'[see above], developed by David Krackhardt, a leading researcher in social networks. Two nodes are connected if they regularly talk to each other, or interact in some way. For instance, in the network above, Andre regularly interacts with Carol, but not with Ike. Therefore Andre and Carol are connected, but there is no link drawn between Andre and Ike.

This network effectively shows the distinction between the three most popular individual network measures: Degree Centrality, Betweenness Centrality, and Closeness Centrality."

jobcentral - Employment Network

jobcentral - Employment Network: "Bringing Referrals From Your Professional Network To Online Recruiting
Your network is an essential tool in your job search

The first step in a job hunt is finding the right opportunity. The second is getting an edge in landing it.
JobCentral and LinkedIn are partnering to help you do both.

Now LinkedIn lets you use your network to investigate all the jobs available through JobCentral, enabling you to reach hiring managers and HR executives for every job through referrals from the friends and colleagues in your professional network on LinkedIn.

Already a LinkedIn user?

When you view a job, LinkedIn will tell you how many people in your network can help you find out more about the company and get the job. Haven't joined LinkedIn yet?

Joining LinkedIn is fast and free. Once you've signed up you'll be able to use the JobCentral/ LinkedIn job search right away.

LinkedIn is the leading professional network tool online, enabling you to find the businesspeople you need through the friends and colleagues you already know and trust."

nPost.com Interview with Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn

nPost.com Interview with Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn: "Reid Hoffman, CEO of LinkedIn
Ried speaks about the growth in Online Networking, how his company was affected by $4.7 Million in VC Funding, and the keys to successful entrepreneurship.
Interview conducted by Nathan Kaiser on Wednesday, March 17, 2004 in Mountain View, CA.
Can you please give us an overview of LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a service that enables professionals to find jobs, make deals, and manage their careers online. Essentially, our service supercharges what already happens offline"

SiliconBeat: PeopleSoft employees flock to LinkedIn

SiliconBeat: PeopleSoft employees flock to LinkedIn: "PeopleSoft employees flock to LinkedIn
Social networking sites have been derided as a fad without a business model. But professional networking sites may be another matter. Users clearly see a value in networking sites focused on cultivating professional contacts. Consider that thousands of PeopleSoft employees, facing the prospect of layoffs because of the Oracle acquisition, have apparently flocked to LinkedIn, the Mountain View online networking tool, according to a PeopleSoft employee and some sleuthing by Joi Ito.
Said Ito:
If you search for PeopleSoft employees who have joined in the last 30 days, you get over 3,700 results. There are 5,500 or so employees listed in total which is around half of their employees.
Via Ross Mayfield
Posted by Michael Bazeley on January 14, 2005 10:49 PM "

Technorati Tag: linkedin

Technorati Tag: linkedin: "linkedin

What's this? A tag is like a subject or category. This page shows blog posts, photos, and links that have been tagged linkedin"

"How Not to Connect on LinkedIn" from The Intuitive Life Business Blog

"How Not to Connect on LinkedIn" from The Intuitive Life Business Blog: "How Not to Connect on LinkedIn - This is a general topic, actually, not one specific to LinkedIn, and I'll call it 'how to network electronically' for lack of a better phrase.
When I receive LinkedIn 'Invitation to Connect' email, they have a specific message written by the requester. Sometimes they're smart, intriguing messages that make me want to connect since I can immediately see the mutual value of our connection, but too often I get the following instead:
I found you while I was searching my network at LinkedIn. Let's connect directly, so we can help each other with referrals. If we connect, both of our networks will grow. To add me as your connection, just follow the link below.
I can personally guarantee that if you request a connection from me with this generic message, or request a connection on another networking site with its default message, that I'll never connect with you.
The reason is simple: I'm happy to connect with fellow professionals in the areas within which I work (marketing, blogging, communications, business strategy, publishing, etc.) but only if you can demonstrate at least the smallest effort on your part to identify how we might find a connection mutually beneficial.
Imagine we're at a busy cocktail party and I notice you going up to each person around me, saying 'Hi, I'm John and I think we should swap business cards.' When you get to me, do you think I'm going to be favorably inclined to swap contact information with you?
If you instead came up and said 'Dave Taylor? You spoke at the Blog Business Summit last month, right? Yeah, your talk was excellent. Really glad to make your acquaintance!' do you think I'd be more likely to be interested in actually networking with you? Of course I would!"

"Are you a Blogger who uses LinkedIn?" from The Intuitive Life Business Blog

"Are you a Blogger who uses LinkedIn?" from The Intuitive Life Business Blog: "The Intuitive Life Business Blog
Are you a Blogger who uses LinkedIn?
(excerpt)
six months ago I really began to explore the capabilities of LinkedIn. Today I remain impressed with its evolution and the caliber of the people in the network. One way I measure this? So far I haven't received a single multi-level marketing solicitation or come-on, but I've connected with fellow writers, strategy consultants, and entrepreneurs from around the globe.
As a blogger, it seemed natural that I would start blogging about LinkedIn, and sure enough, if you dig through my archives here you'll find that I have written about LinkedIn with some frequency in the last few months.
(end excerpt)
Dave Taylor has been involved with the Internet since 1980 and is widely recognized as an expert on both technical and business issues. He has been published over a thousand times, launched four Internet-related startup companies, has written nineteen business and technical books and holds both an MBA and MS Ed. Dave maintains three weblogs, The Intuitive Life Business Blog, focused on business and industry analysis, the eponymously named Ask Dave Taylor devoted to tech and business Q&A and The Attachment Parenting Blog, discussing topics of interest to parents. Dave is a top-rated speaker, sought after conference and workshop facilitator and frequent guest on radio and podcast programs."

Smart Mobs: What is the future of the blog?

Smart Mobs: What is the future of the blog?: "October 20, 2005
What is the future of the blog?
How to Recognize The Future When It Lands On You
Posted by Samuel Rose at 06:11 AM
(excerpt)
Tim O'Rielly nicely sums up the current state of blogging technology in his article defining the somewhat nebulous web2.0 phenomenon. The value that has emerged from blogging is it's potential to aggregate the insights of a diverse group of people. To harness the 'wisdom of crowds'.
(end excerpt)"

yourDictionary.com - Word of the Day

yourDictionary.com - Word of the Day: "
Today's Word:
Gregarious (adjective)
Definition: Seeking out and enjoying the company of others; aggressively sociable.
Usage: One can be friendly to other people without wanting or enjoying their company.

'Gregarious' describes people who are quite extroverted and enjoy groups as a means of making new friends - a joiner, a hypernetworker.

Suggested Usage: A gregarious person is closer to a 'party animal' than to someone who is merely sociable. 'Rodney's gregarious personality served him well in his extracurricular activities' or 'Ortha was not as gregarious as her sister and so enjoyed more time reading at home.'
Etymology: Latin gregarius 'belonging to a flock' from grex, greg- 'flock.' Also found in 'congregate,' 'segregate,' 'egregious,' and 'Gregory.' This is probably a reduplicated form of *ger- which also emerges in Greek agora 'marketplace'. (Thanks to Dr. Audra Himes of yourDictionary.com for today's word.)
Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com"

reviewjournal.com -- Business: THE ONLINE GUY: Shrinking office, widening univer...

reviewjournal.com -- Business: THE ONLINE GUY: Shrinking office, widening univer...: "Monday, October 25, 2004
Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal
THE ONLINE GUY: Shrinking office, widening universe
As the Internet continues to evolve and become part of everyday life, how we interact with technology and each other will continue to transform, one Net expert said.
The power of the network, connecting people and services, will eventually undo the Industrial Revolution, said Jakob Nielsen, Web design guru and partner in the Nielsen Norman Group (www.nngroup.com). 'For the last 200 years, we have seen a movement toward mass manufacturing where people moved to the cities and had jobs,' he said, calling the idea of having a job a 'weird concept.'
Nielsen said he believes that instead of traditional jobs, more people now have the ability to not go to the office every day as they use the Internet to 'connect as required' and create more speciality products and services. He sees the trend of more people working from home or in smaller, specialized businesses continuing.
'That's the point of the network,' he said. 'It connects points.'"

Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)

Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox): "useit.com Alertbox Oct. 2005 Weblog Usability
Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, October 17, 2005:
Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes
Summary: Weblogs are often too internally focused and ignore key usability issues, making it hard for new readers to understand the site and trust the author. "

Top Ten Blog Design Mistakes: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Top Ten Blog Design Mistakes: Blog Tips at ProBlogger: "Written on October 18, 2005 by Darren Rowse :: 35 Reader Comments
Top Ten Blog Design Mistakes
Jakob Nielsen has put together an interesting article with the Top Ten Design Mistakes that he sees bloggers making. It's a pretty insightful list - not definitive by any means - but definitely helpful in my mind.
1. No Author Biographies - I'm amazed that so many blogs don't have any information about who is the behind them. Not essential information but common sense in my books to be transparent enough to tell people who you are.
2. No Author Photo - for me this is not a must - but it does add something personal to a blog.
3. Nondescript Posting Titles - regular readers will know about my passion for post titles - enough said
4. Links Don't Say Where They Go - I agree - it also helps with SEO to use make links more descriptive
5. Classic Hits are Buried - So true - highlight your best posts or they'll go unseen after dropping from the front page
6. The Calendar is the Only Navigation - has anyone ever used a calendar to navigate a blog or is it just me who avoids them?
7. Irregular Publishing Frequency - again something I've written quite a bit about. It's not about high or low posting frequency - but regular posting. Find your rhythm and stick to it.
8. Mixing Topics - Stick to you niche
9. Forgetting That You Write for Your Future Boss - so true. Once you hit publish you lose control over who will ever see what you write. Be careful.
10. Having a Domain Name Owned by a Weblog Service - the quote of this article is "Letting somebody else own your name means that they own your destiny on the Internet." So true. "

Blogging to Boost Your Biz

Blogging to Boost Your Biz: "Small Business Focus courtesy of Entrepreneur.com
Blogging to Boost Your Biz

By Entrepreneur.com Staff
10/5/2005 12:33 PM EDT

Blogging is the latest innovation to take the Web by storm. According to blog-tracking firm Technorati, there are currently 14 million blogs with 80,000 more being added every day. And 30% of all 50 million Internet users are blog readers. In short, a lot of people are reading and writing blogs.

Yet despite their popularity, you may be one of those people who doesn't really know what a blog is or what relevance blogging has to your business. In this article, I hope to answer those questions and cover the basics of using blogging to deliver favorable business results. "

Marketing Gorilla: LinkedIn Lessons

Marketing Gorilla: LinkedIn Lessons: "re: Your LinkedIn Profile Update Notification

I know this probably isn't an issue for many of your other contacts. But it is for me. I receive dozens of such updates from my contacts each week. Your email notice contains no information other than the fact that it is changed. You had a chance to tell me what is new in the email. Instead you said nothing.

Profiles contain lots of information. You're asking me to review your profile and guess what's new, or perhaps I should somehow magically know what is different? That doesn't work. Just tell me what's been updated.

There's yet one more reason for avoiding the empty LinkedIn update - my spam filter thought it was spam and put it in that folder.

Now I know LinkedIn doesn't provide a lot of information or support on using the update. In fact they make it quite easy to send the meaningless default update. Please allow me to make a few suggestions so you can improve on this in the future.

Make sure you customize the default profile update email message. The other items on the list below are for general advice only. Thank you!"

Dirty and Clean Laundry

Dirty and Clean Laundry: "Dirty and Clean Laundry
by Milton Moskowitz - A new spate of books and reports puts corporate behavior on display and enlivens the debate about business's purpose in society.
Enron fooled a lot of people, including me. For two years in a row, 2000 and 2001, the former energy star made Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For...
Today, nearly four years after Enron declared the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, reverberations from this financial tremor are still being felt. We are being inundated with books, films, and essays dealing not just with ethical breaches and badly behaved executives but also with corporate social responsibility (CSR). Meanwhile, there has been a surge in comprehensive corporate reports on social performance from large, influential companies..."

Women-CEO.com - Join NOW!

Women-CEO.com - Join NOW!: "WomenCEO Network - A Premier Entrepreneur Development Organization for Women. Through membership, you can establish a strong professional network, receive cutting-edge training, and place your business in the spotlight, all within your busy schedule. Our monthly meetings provide: *A 90 minute meeting format that includes business-focused skill building programs, *A highly focused networking period in a supportive environment, to make business contacts and *A featured member of the month program offering the opportunity to showcase your business. As a continuous learning organization, we also offer three teleseminars each month as a way to extend our reach in a global and virtual environment as well as to ensure that you remain focused on the growth of your business. I welcome you to familiarize yourself with what we have to offer and consider joining us. However, be prepared to accelerate your thinking, grow your business and celebrate sweet success! I'll see you at the TOP!
Felicia Davis
Founder & Chief Visionary
WomenCEO Network! "

Squarespace - Blogging Evolved

Squarespace - Blogging Evolved: "Who's Squarespace for? Bloggers. Independent professionals. Small businesses. Anyone who needs to maintain a web presence, but wants exacting control over their site, and powerful publishing features that cover everything from blogs to files. No technical skill is required. You provide the ideas, we turn those into your site. It's that easy. You can get started right away, or learn more."

village voice > arts > Education Supplement Spring 2005 by Geeta Dayal

village voice > arts > Education Supplement Spring 2005 by Geeta Dayal: "Education Supplement Spring 2005 - A Brief Guide to Blogodemia"

Poynter Online - E-Media Tidbits

Poynter Online - E-Media Tidbits: "Posted by Steve Klein 12:38:46 PM - Colleges Aren't Majoring in Blogging Having recently participated in a program at George Mason University, where I teach, on using blogs in the classroom, I found this story, 'PH.Dotcom,' in the Village Voice on academic blogs interesting. Geeta Dayal writes that blogging is slowly but surely catching on in academe."

Big Picture | Blogging 101--Web logs go to school | CNET News.com

Big Picture - Blogging 101- Web logs go to school - CNET News.com: "The Big Picture: Blogging 101-Web logs go to school - As a middle-school teacher, Clarence Fisher is used to spending time grading papers and reviewing lesson plans. But this year he's got an additional task: updating student blogs"

Blogging 101--Web logs go to school | CNET News.com

Blogging 101--Web logs go to school | CNET News.com: "Blogging 101- Web logs go to school"

COMMON Network

COMMON Network: "Organizations use our unique social network in-a-box to enable their members to share access to contacts. Strangers establish trust with one another after we reveal their shared COMMON Ground: the people, places and things they have in common. With MORCA the same COMMON Ground data can be spontaneously compared in face-to-face settings using mobile devices. "

Beyond Blogs and Social Networks - Srinstitute.com Conferences

Beyond Blogs and Social Networks - Srinstitute.com Conferences: "Conference Overview - Online networks and communities are the new meeting grounds. They are considered the new power lunch tables and the new golf courses for business life in the U.S. Companies are using the Internet-powered services to tap into the collective intelligence of employees, customers, and outsiders, transforming their internal operations.
Businesspeople are starting to use online communities and blogs as a way to find business clients, new partners, and jobs, through virtual contacts they make online.
Instead of conducting focus groups or other potentially time-consuming research, blogs allow executives to monitor consumer feedback and reactions to almost anything in almost real time. Blogs, which are essentially online journals, now dominate companies PR strategies, which may also include RSS feeds and podcasting. They are part of a social software toolkit that includes blogs, relationship management software, file-sharing, advanced contact managers, virtual communities, web conferencing and instant messaging."

LinkedIn: Joe Bartling [LinkToJoe@gmail.com]

LinkedIn: Joe Bartling [LinkToJoe@gmail.com]: "Author 'How To Double Your Income in 6 Months Using LinkedIn'
LinkedIn Oldtimer (Self-employed)
Internet Industry
December 2003 - Present (1 year 11 months)

Some of you know me as a LinkedIn oldtimer (18+ months). In the early days I spent hundreds of hours digging in to LinkedIn and the science/math behind it. I wrote a 22-page report with the above 'working title' a while back and I'm willing to share it on a limited basis.

I'd like to offer a free copy to anyone here on LinkedIn who has the motivation and desire to network successfully and professionally using LinkedIn, but need a broader perspective, knowledge, and deeper foundation of why and how this all works.

In the report I explain that if you connect to a few good super-connectors or super-hubs, your network is almost 90% as effective as those super-connectors themselves. It's the mathematics that makes it work.

Anyway, just send me a LinkedIn invitation to LinkToJoe@gmail.com and ask for a copy of the report, and I'll be happy to email it to you for personal use (not for republishing)."

Networking Without the Wine and Cheese (washingtonpost.com)

Networking Without the Wine and Cheese (washingtonpost.com): "Networking Without the Wine and Cheese"

Reed's Locus

Reed's Locus: "This web exists to link all of the online resources I want to share that relate to group forming networks, scaling, 'Metcalfe's Law' and 'Reed's Law'. "

Rob Cross | Assistant Professor

Rob Cross | Assistant Professor: "Research has shown that people in more diverse, entrepreneurial networks tend to be more successful"

Rob Cross | Assistant Professor

Rob Cross | Assistant Professor: "Organizational network analysis (ONA) can provide an x-ray into the inner workings of an organization - a powerful means of making invisible patterns of information flow and collaboration in strategically important groups visible"

INSNA home page @insna.org

INSNA home page @insna.org: "International Network for Social Network Analysis and related subjects. INSNA Here you will find Social Networks information, reference sources and links to related home pages"

Buzz Marketing with Blogs: Powerpoint Presentations from the BLOGasia conference

Buzz Marketing with Blogs: Powerpoint Presentations from the BLOGasia conference: "Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies, a book by Susannah GardnerPowerpoint Presentations from the BLOGasia conference"

Amazon.com: Books: Work Your Network!

Amazon.com: Books: Work Your Network!: "Work your Network is the definitive guide for learning the art of networking. Joe's personal approach is truly extraordinary and his depth of the subject is superb. The reader will learn the principles and philosophy that took the author from obscurity to one of the most successful recruiters in the country. If you are looking for a concise treatise on the subject, Work your Network delivers."

DallasBlue - Dallas Technology, Internet, and Entertainment Newsletter

DallasBlue - Dallas Technology, Internet, and Entertainment Newsletter: "LinkedIn Pro: LinkedIn and Networking Resources - Hosted by Marc Freedman, Who's Your LinkedIn Daddy? http://LinkedInPro.com"

Aligning Your Business with CLARITY: What is Networking? - Align IT Advisors

Aligning Your Business with CLARITY: What is Networking? - Align IT Advisors: "What is Networking? Have you been hearing a lot about something called networking and wondering just what the heck it is exactly? If you've asked around, you probably get the sense that nobody really knows what it is because if you ask 10 people, you get 11 different answers. That may be because networking will be different for everyone, at least in the details of how, where, when, and why you network. In addition, many people have an incomplete idea of what we call networking."

Aligning Your Business with CLARITY - Align IT Advisors

Aligning Your Business with CLARITY - Align IT Advisors: "Networking Part Deux - a conversation about LinkedIn "

About.com: http://www.easytraining.com/networking.htm

About.com: http://www.easytraining.com/networking.htm: "NETWORKING ON THE NET - Professionalism, Ethics And Courtesy On The Net"

About.com: http://www.soho-it-goes.com/resources/articles/networking.html

About.com: http://www.soho-it-goes.com/resources/articles/networking.html"Everything You Need to Know About Online Business Networking"

Yahoo! Groups : LinkedinIndia

Yahoo! Groups : LinkedinIndia: "Linkedin India is a forum dedicated to helping Indians and people of Indian descent link in to Linkedin's 3.8 Million users for one purpose and one purpose only: to do business better! "

Online Business Networking for Entrepreneurs

Online Business Networking for Entrepreneurs: "Online Business Networking - The success of customer communities has shown that business relationships can be created and developed on the Web, and online dating has shown that deep personal relationships can be, as well. Online business networking, connecting and creating opportunities on the Web, is the next logical step. Here you'll find various online networking sites, as well as tips on how to make the most of them. "

Business Networking Tips and Resources for Entrepreneurs

Business Networking Tips and Resources for Entrepreneurs: "Business Networking for Entrepreneurs - Networking is an essential skill for most business people, but especially for entrepreneurs. The strong association between the entrepreneur as a person and his or her business demands that entrepreneurs get out into the world and create and maintain business relationships. Here are some tips and resources to help you improve your networking skills and extend your reach. "

Amazon.com: Books: The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors And Closing Deals Online

Amazon.com: Books: The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors And Closing Deals Online: "The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors And Closing Deals Online (Paperback)
by David Teten, Scott Allen "

Yahoo! Groups : MyLinkedinPowerForum

Yahoo! Groups : MyLinkedinPowerForum: "The purpose of My Linkedin* Power Forum is to help Linkedin users power up their networking in order to do business better. To do business better, we need to communicate better, faster, and WITH LESS STRESS!
Communication is POWER - and at 3.8 million users, Linkedin represents a LOT of power for your business and career! "

Business Networking: Business Networking? So what?

Business Networking: Business Networking? So what?: "Business Networking? So what?
'Why bother? We have wonderful online networking portals like openBC and LinkedIn but why do we need them to facilitate our networking efforts? We have our Outlook Address Book and Plaxo, so why add to the clutter with LinkedIn and openBC? After all, we just need to stay in touch with the people we know.'"

"Reinventing LinkedIn with InMail" from The Intuitive Life Business Blog

"Reinventing LinkedIn with InMail" from The Intuitive Life Business Blog: "Reinventing LinkedIn with InMail - Marketing VP and LinkedIn Co-Founder Konstantin Guericke just gave me the go-ahead to share this exciting information about a major new functionality that'll be added to LinkedIn a few weeks from now! Here's what he shared about InMail and how it'll work. As for me, I can't wait to be able to really tap the power of the entire LinkedIn member database, not just the subset my contacts are in touch with"

Business Networking: Quality vs. Quantity

Business Networking: Quality vs. Quantity: "Quality vs. Quantity - A debate regarding the Quality vs. Quantity [QvQ] issue has been going on for quite sometime now on the LinkedIn YahooGroups [MyLinkedInPowerForum and LinkedInnovators]. Lots of inividual opinions about how people tackle the issue themselves."

Business Networking: Positive Professional Image

Business Networking: Positive Professional Image: "Positive Professional Image - by Laura Morgan Roberts - People are constantly observing your behavior and forming theories about your competence, character, and commitment, which are rapidly disseminated everywhere. It is only wise to add your voice in framing others' theories about who you are and what you can accomplish."

Business Networking: Networking Profile - Theory

Business Networking: Networking Profile - Theory: "Networking Profile - Theory
I cannot even begin to stress enough on the fact that as a business networker, or even as a person with a simple web presence, you need to have a good profile description available for others to read through. Your profile serves the purpose of a first impression when someone visits you on the web. Since you are not there in person to greet the visitor or to talk about your achievements and experience, it is your profile that speaks."

Business Networking: Building Online Relationships

Business Networking: Building Online Relationships: "Building functional relationships with professionals / people online can be more complex as compared to maintaining offline relationships. Of course, if you are good at it - good at maintaining online relationships - it is easier to maintain an online relationship as compared to an offline one."

Business Networking: Networking News

Business Networking: Networking News: "First of all, LinkedIn cannot be considered as a 'social' networking site. It is an online business networking portal."

Business Networking: Being Diplomatic

Business Networking: Being Diplomatic: "Being Diplomatic "

Business Networking: Social Networks Report

Business Networking: Social Networks Report: "Social Networks Report - 'This report is the result of an in depth analysis on social networks for a web community project at Wildbit. The report aimed to discover how to attract members, define structure, influence participation, and manage the community in order to design the web site prototypes.'"

Sacred Cow Dung: CHEATER'S GUIDE TO LINKEDIN v 0.1

Sacred Cow Dung: CHEATER'S GUIDE TO LINKEDIN v 0.1: "CHEATER'S GUIDE TO LINKEDIN v 0.1"

LinkedIn Notes

LinkedIn Notes: "A Potential Drawback to Connecting to Superconnectors "

LinkedIn Tips: Getting Started Building Your LinkedIn Network

LinkedIn Tips: Getting Started Building Your LinkedIn Network: "The tips below are written for anyone who would like start building their network of contacts using LinkedIn. I suggest that each tip be followed in sequential order. Note that all of the tips below assume that you have created a LinkedIn account and are logged in. By no means is this tips list a complete list of everything that you can do to take full advantage of the LinkedIn site, but I think it can provide you with a good start."

Comparison of Linkedin, OpenBC, and Skype.

Comparison of Linkedin, OpenBC, and Skype.: "Comparison of Linkedin, OpenBC, and Skype"

The CareerXroads Annex: Linkedin: Developing Networking Protocols

The CareerXroads Annex: Linkedin: Developing Networking Protocols: "Linkedin: Developing Networking Protocols
For the 10th time this week I declined to pass on a Linkedin request."

Keelhauling: LinkedIn Introduction

Keelhauling: LinkedIn Introduction: "You put in your own profile information, and invite people to 'connect' to you on LinkedIn. LinkedIn tracks your connections, and shows you the connections of your connections, and so on"

Six degrees of separation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Six degrees of separation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Six degrees of separation is the theory that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries. The theory was first proposed in 1929 by the Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy in a short story called Chains"

Social network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Social network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Social networking also refers to a category of Internet applications to help connect friends, business partners, or other individuals together using a variety of tools. These applications are covered under Internet social networks below, and in the external links at the end of the article"

LET’S get N.E.T.W.O.R.K.I.N.G!! Perfect 10 N.E.T....

LET’S get N.E.T.W.O.R.K.I.N.G.!

Perfect 10 N.E.T.W.O.R.K.I.N.G. Recommendations

• Network -           Strive to build a vibrantly alive network


• Energy -           Let your energy shine through your creativity & knowledge


• Thoughtfulness -      Be THOUGHTFUL in sharing with others


• Work -                ALWAYS DO GOOD, QUALITY WORK


• Organization -           Be organized enough to minimize wasting your networking time


• Recruiting -           Recruit a wide variety of people to help hold your network together


• Knowledge -           Keep current & relevant knowledge of the networking field


• Interdependence -      Seek to work well independently as well as with others in your network


• Nurturance -           Practice adding value & encouragement to the people in your network


• Givers -           Gain Use the art of giving as a way of networking for business and for life

Vincent Wright
Creator/Moderator,
My Linkedin Power Forum
http://www.mylinkedinpowerforum.com/
    

Linking word of mouth to sales

Linking word of mouth to sales

By Mike Bowerbank, Weasel Design

"I rely on word of mouth" seems to be the rallying cry of people in the business community. Meeting people and networking to generate that word of mouth is the best way to generate business, but such events are often time-consuming and costly, considering you’re not making money for your enterprise while attending them.

Networking, like advertising, is a marketing investment. However as a business owner, nothing is more valuable than your time. Even when you are attending networking events, you’re still missing out on potential leads and sales by limiting yourself to the room you’re in.

What if you could network while you sleep or at work? With a free tool called "LinkedIn" (www.linkedin.com) you can market yourself and network 24/7. Linked In allows you to network online, complementing your existing online presence.

Word of mouth alone is ineffective unless you give it a push through such means as effective promotional materials, testimonials and access to a large group of your potential customers. All of these items can be provided through Linked In and they’re all free.

Tatsuya Nakagawa of Atomica Creative Group (www.atomicacreative.com) is a strong advocate of LinkedIn and was the one who got me excited about it. Here are his top five reasons to use LinkedIn:

1. Networking presence 24 hours per day.
2. You build relationships faster.
3. Using the "six degrees of separation" theory, you could theoretically have access to hundreds of thousands of people through your existing contacts.
4. You only get contacts from trusted sources.
5. Linked in is also an effective contact management tool. (Contact info, business description and brief bio in an online database.)

To quote P.T. Barnum, "Without promotion, something terrible happens – nothing!" Never let a free opportunity to promote yourself and your business slip past you.

Weasel Design
www.weaseldesign.net
"We have designs on the world."

Strategic Online Networking Initiative (SONI) Canada

An initiative created to help business and industry associations across Canada get connected online through free social networking sites such as LinkedIn.

LinkedIn enables existing groups to enhance their networking and strengthen their relationships between each other.

It also can be used to get media coverage, add clients or partners, recruit candidates and to acquire valuable information on a local as well as a global scale.

Sponsored by Atomica Creative Group Ltd
www.atomicacreative.com

Supported by
Clarrus Consulting Group
Max the Intern
First Quadrant Direct Selling