The Virtual Toolbox

Essential Blogging Tool

Although Feedblitz has a lot of kewl features, my favorite use for it is for blogs. Using the newsletter feature, you can set up a notification system that will automatically send an email to subscribers when a new post has been added to your  blog. It takes less than 10 minutes to sign up and create a link to add to your blog (you can also send it to your web designer for posting).

Greeting Cards and Postcards

Send Out Cards has been around for a while. I looked at their program several years ago and wasn't impressed because they had limited cards available. Recently a friend talked me into taking another look. Boy, this service sure has "grown up."

After watching her demo, I signed up immediately. I was amazed at the quality of the cards, the flexibility of them (I could add my own photos, text, etc.) and the great cost! They even have  gifts and gift certificates that you can include with the cards.

VIsit my site to find out more and send a couple of cards yourself. If you would like more information, feel free to contact me.

Swift Publisher

Swift Publisher is an easy page layout program for the Mac. Although it's not a substitute for a professional designer, it sure makes it much easier for us do-it-yourselfers to do a simple flyer, newsletter, etc. According to their web site, the program offers "23,000 high quality images, 100 unique masks and about 130 professionally designed templates (flyers, brochures, booklets, letterheads,  newsletters, catalogs, etc.)."

Dash on over to the Swift Publisher site to take a look at this low cost desktop publishing software!

The Corporate Blogging Book

I found this book by Debbie Weil recommended by TypePad and decided to purchase it. It was one of the best purchases I’ve made for my business. Debbie’s information and advice is spot on for bloggers. Both beginning and advanced bloggers will find this book useful. Order your copy today: The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right

Photos

I’ve found two good sources for royalty free photos that you can use in almost everything you produce for your business – Photos.com and iStockPhoto.com. Photos.com offers various subscription plans (i.e. 30 day access to all photos for $139 – they also offer 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions). At iStockPhotos.com, you pay-per-image. Prices start at $1 for a low resolution image and go up.

I’ve used the high-resolution photos on both sites in printed document and they are beautiful. The quality is definitely there!

Want to get ahead in business? Hire your intuition!

In today's fast-paced environment, decisions need to be made swiftly and accurately. While many top executives won't publicize it, intuition is a key part of their decision-making success.  A survey by executive search firm Christian & Timbers showed that, among 601 executive at Fortune 1000 companies, 55% perceive that they base their decisions on facts and figures, while 45% say they rely more heavily on their intuition.                   

“The crazier the times are, the more important it is for leaders to develop and to trust their intuition,” suggests management guru, Tom Peters. Once thought of as the domain of the "gifted few," intuition is in fact, readily available to us all. It can be an important component in making hiring decisions, motivating staff, increasing sales, accessing partnerships and predicting industry trends. More

Article by Lynn A. Robinson, professional intuitive, author, and speaker.

Art of Schmooze

Networking has been one of the most powerful marketing tools for me. At first I had a difficult time “making small talk” and promoting myself at meetings. After a lot of practice and stumbling,  I finally became comfortable with the process. I wish Beth Mende Conny’s book Art of Schmooze for Professionals had been available back then. Unfortunately it wasn’t but it is available to help you – her site also contains a lot of helpful information to help you become a “Smoother Schmoozer” ™.

Short Run Book Printer

Several of my clients publish their own books and thanks to Fidlar Doubleday, Inc., they don’t have to order thousands of copies of their book in order to get a good price on printing. You can order as few as 50 copies of your book.

Business Cards, Postcards and more...

There are a lot of good printers out there, but I’ve been using VistaPrint quite a bit lately and have been very pleased with the results. I started by ordering their “free” business cards and quickly realized I needed something without the “advertising.” I then ordered their premium cards which I was very pleased with the quality (they even did a custom layout for me). Since then, I’ve ordered postcards, flyers, and brochures – all four color – and have been extremely happy with the results. Now most of my clients are using VistaPrint for their short run printing needs.

Audio Generator

Audio Generator makes it easy to add audio messages to your web site. You call the number they provide and record your message right over the telephone. Then you log into their system and copy and paste a link onto your web site. You do not need any special technical knowledge about recording in order to utilize their service. To try it for free, go to the Audio Generator web site.