Video Conferencing Benefits

In today's global market, one of the most important and critical assests a company can have is good communication. Communication with customers, consumers, and vendors is key to the businesses ability to meet schedules, demands and deadlines and is a vital part of customer satisfaction. Phone conversations sometimes suffice, but the evolution of video conferencing allows businesses to be able to educate, demonstrate, illustrate and communicate at the same time.This allows businesses to build a good reputation by competing in a global marketplace and being able to deliver quality products on time which can ultimately lead to increased market share, sales and opportunities.

Best RockStartup Ever!

I can relate to the RockStartup Episode 11: Can't Hardly Weight the best since I've been on a weight-loss program since August 2006. I'm what I consider a perpetual dieter since I seem to have a fat gene in my family and the office-wide weight loss, diet, and exercise program is a cool idea. We actually have a gym where I work, but I don't use it very much because I'd rather walk outdoors than on a treadmill. I have a treadmill in my garage that has dust on it - thank God I only paid $25 bucks for it at a yard sale. Anyway, RockStartup is a very cool reality tv web program that gives you a little insight to the minds behind the PayPerPost concept and allows us posties to feel more connected to the people we are working for to get the word out. I love to see what goes on behind the scenes at the company - who does what and who comes up with all these crazy, great ideas and concepts. It's like a marketing course on crack! The confessionals are great; we get to find out what's going on with everyone and how they really feel about things, who's cheating on their diet; I guess V's confession in this particular episode lets me know that the struggles I've faced in my plan are the same struggles that a lot of people face in the weight-loss battle. It does help to have a buddy system for diet and exercise and with the entire office "involved" in the plan, it sparks a bit of competition - I think these guys and gals are full of competition, so this should be interesting! I love the show and can't wait to see if the Heidi Klum diet and Thermabubbles work for Britt and Veronique. Gimme more, gimme more, gimme more...

Check out the webisode I liked best, here...

Cha-Ching!

If you're new to the blogosphere, did you know that you can make money off your blog? Have you heard of PayPerPost? Well, if you haven't, crawl out from under that rock and listen up! My other blog turned 1 year old last month, and just since August of last year, I've made over $3K with my blogs thanks to PayPerPost.com and their creative marketing strategies. Can you believe that? The incentive of making money blogging just makes me want to become a better blogger and deliver posts content that is both interesting and informative for readers who've surfed over or stumbled upon my little corner of the web. If you've arrived here, I want to let you in on a new affiliate program being offered by PayPerPost.com which allows you, the reader, to review my post - this post, and in the process, will allow you to make your first step into blogging for PayPerPost which is the best game in town to monetize your blog. The review allows me to promote my blog, too. Sounds like a win-win situation, huh?



The PayPerPost folks have released a new beta version of their interface, some parts of the release weren't exactly painless to say the least, but it should be duly noted that they're a new company and are still learning - er - ironing out issues. Anyway, the affiliate program allows the reader to review my post which earns the reader $7.50. But, the $7.50 does not come instantly as you must signup, submit your blog for approval (takes about a week), then once the post you made is approved, you'll be paid via PayPal 30 days from the day you originally submitted the opportunity. It would probably be better if PayPerPost could allow the $7.50 to be instantly transferred to the reader's PayPal account so that the newbie postie could get a "warm and fuzzy" about PayPerPost and not have to worry whether they would ever see their cash.

e-cards

Today, for the first time ever, my husband sent me an e-card for Valentine's Day. I almost fell out of my chair and knocked over my cubicle wall when I saw that I had an e-card from Jennings! He's learning, bless his heart. He's the total opposite from me when it comes to computers - I had to teach him how to double click - LOL - now, he's sending me e-cards. He didn't send me the one where you hear hear Cupid's best pickup lines, but a more sweet, loving card. Egreetings.com has some very funny e-cards for birthdays and Valentine's Day that are funny, risque and animated that you can personalize your own message and send to your buddies who have a sense of humor and like funny stuff like me. You can get a yearly subscription for $13.99 (which is probably less than what you'd spend on stamps) and with membership you can schedule when your cards are sent so you never miss that special occasion again. Don't wind up buying a plastic rose and cheesy card at the local convenient store at the last minute - give 'em what they want - a good laugh!


Wanna hear Cupid's pickup lines?


How 'bout some inbox cleavage?


Who wouldn't want Singing Chins in their inbox?

Lead Generation with Leaddogs.com

As my previous post stated, our company has a problem tracking the sales leads that are generated by customer service reps. It's up to Sales to look at the leads and determine the priority of the leads, identify market needs, and go after the sale. Right now, there's a problem with Sales being able to analyze the data in some form then targeting businesses and distributors to sell our products and services. Lead Generation can be tricky because of the you need good data to support legitimate sales calls, expensive trips, website modification, and sales & marketing promotion. Leaddogs.com specialized in getting high-quality B2B sales leads that are more apt to turn into a sale. They identify businesses that are ready to seal the deal and develop future opportunities. I don't see why we can't try a service like leaddogs.com to outsource some sales functions - our company has already trimmed so much fat during restructuring that we don't really have the workforce necessary to handle all the leads; we're no stranger to outsourcing either. It's the primary principle of business - you need to spend money to make money...

Flucidity for Real?

I ran across an interesting new concept today which involves one thinking and acting on certain ideas, needs and wants to promote achievement of your personal goals and objectives. The concept is called Flucidity and is coined by the author as the Theory of Everything. The basic steps of the thought process are representation, structure and measurement, potential energy, then interaction and association - pretty simple when you think about it, or look at the examples, but the mind is very complex - and the power of human thought is even more complex. This is an interesting theory which shouldn't be overlooked or dismissed. I'm a firm believer in the power of positive thinking, and Flucidity may just take that a step further - I'll have to think about it...

E-M-A-I-L

Email Marketing can be one of the least expensive and far-reaching marketing tools of bringing your product or service to light to consumers and businesses alike. I am connected to my email nearly all-day everyday, and so are many other people that I know, so how much more audience does a business need than one whose connected to the lifeline of their product for over 70% of the day.

Here's my video...


This post sponsored by MindComet.com

Free Podcast Hosting Site

If you're like me, you have quite a bit to talk about. I'm sure you've been surfing around and stumbled on some podcasts somewhere out there on the 'net since podcasting is becoming a popular way for businesses and bloggers to deliver media content about their site or services or whatever to visitors and readers. It's convenient to watch podcasts to since you can download them to your iPod or PC and listen whenever you want, unlike streaming audio. If you want to start doing your own podcasting for your site, MyPodcast.com is a Free Podcast host that lets you record and host your podcast for free!

Please, No Flowers...

It's nice to get flowers sometimes, but I've always told my husband not to get me flowers for anniversaries, birthdays, or Valentine's Day. They're beautiful for a few days, but then they just wilt and die. I'm a pretty low-maintenance kind of gal when it comes to flowers, candy, and candle lit dinners - just grill me a steak, and clean up the kitchen! Now, when it comes to my electronics, give me the best because I do love my gadgets! My problem is, if I asked for some nifty little gadget for Valentine's Day like one of these pink, personalized thumb drives, my husband wouldn't even know what I was talking about! He is technologically challenged to say the least. But anyway, maybe he'll read my blog and get the hint!

All About Home Theater

I bought my first surround sound system about 10 years ago and it consisted of a Sony Pro-logic receiver and some mini Sony speakers for the center and front. I rigged up a subwoofer, later and I was content for awhile. About 4 years ago, I sold that system at a garge sale (it sounded pretty good and brought $300) then bought a new Sony System complete with center, front and rear speakers, a subwoofer and a Sony 5-disc DVD player. The system works great and sounds great, but I would love to upgrade my system so I've been looking around at some Home Audio Theater Reviews. A friend of mine just bought a 62 inch HDTV and I have to admit, I'm jealous - and it's just in time for the big game, too. I don't know if I could bear the rejection of American Idol wannabees on a 62 inch screen, or take the excitement of all my favorite shows coming through some new JBL speakers, but I could sure give it a try!

Wirefly: Top 10 Cell Phones of 2006

My husband is not one to want the latest cell phone, computer gadget, or software; we are different in that way. Just last week, his screen on the inside of his flip phone stopped working, so now he can't see what number he's dialing. He can still see who's calling him on the outside of his phone, though. That would drive me nuts and I would look at it as a good opportunity to get myself a new phone! Not him, he said, "I like this phone." Anyway, I think it's beyond repair and he'll probably have to get a new phone. I bought the RAZR last year and I love it. Wirefly announces the Top 10 cell phones of 2006 and I can see why the Motorola tops the list. Motorola makes some tough stuff and the RAZR is sleek and durable, and most importantly, I can HEAR on it, too!

Restaurant Finance

Jimmy and I have talked about opening a restaurant, but have not really considered how much it would cost to create "the place to be." Not only do you have to have the right space, equipment, furnishings, and staff, but you also need a strong web presence, marketing, branding and a ton of advertisement to make your brand stand out. Guess what, it takes money to do all that - and a lot of it! I ran across ARF, a company who specializes in short term, working capital loans for small to medium-sized merchants. I also found out that by getting a working capital loan, the interest you pay is tax deductible which will give you a quicker ROI. I'm bookmarking them in case we take the plunge one of these days...


***This post sponsored by advancerestaurantfinance.com***

Netsimplicity Scheduling Software

Meeting-Crasher Syndrome: Have you ever walked into a conference room to attend a meeting and realized that there was already a meeting in progress which you weren't invited?

Ball-Dropper Syndrome: Have you ever forgotten to do an important task because you
jotted it down on a sticky note, then it fell off what you stuck it to?

If you've suffered from either of these conditions, you need to check out Scheduling Software from NetSimplicity. NetSimplicity offers software that will help you overcome Ball-Dropper and Meeting-Crasher Syndrom by simplifying the not-so-simple day-to-day office administration tasks by offering management and scheduling of rooms, equipment, and resources. They even offer a free 30-Day product trial.

***This post sponsored by netsimplicity.com***

Restaurant Design Service Online

My husband is an excellent cook - I call him Emeril, Jr when he gets all his dishes out to prep the meal. He should have gone to culinary school, I guess it's never too late. Anyway, he often talks about how he would like to open a restaurant, but the town we live in would probably not be the best place to start since most of the people here try to escape on the weekends. But, just up the road about 30 minutes away, there's a well-known, booming, golf/horse/retirement area called Pinehurst, NC that has several great, independent restaurants that are top shelf. I stumbled upon a website that specializes in Restaurant Design and bookmarked it in case we get ready to take the plunge. Thought I'd share since the restaurant industry is so difficult to be successful in, you really need industry professionals with experience to help with your business plan, strategy, concept and branding. Visit the Restaurant Design website for more information.


***This post sponsored by quantifiedmarketing.com***

Get Your Own SpritePimp!

Ok, this was easy and only took a few seconds - I made one and you can get your Free Custom Video Game Sprites from spritepimp.com. I chose Mario from Mario Brothers because I used to play that game until my fingers hurt. Yes, I'm a child of the 80's. They are planning some upgrades to the site that will allow the user to right click and save image, but right now, you just create and copy/past the code. You can put whatever text you want in the balloon like your website name. Here's how it looks...




***This post sponsored by spritepimp.com***

GP2X Gaming

My son has a video game addiction, so I try to keep up with the latest on gaming platforms, news, tournaments and reviews. But, I read about the GP2X today and it sounds like it would be a good toy for MOM! The GP2X is an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and media player that's created and sold by GamePark. The GP2X was released in late 2005 in South Korea and it's designed to play video and music files, view photos, and play games. One feature the GP2X has is the capability of running emulators which enables the user to run software from another system on the GP2X. Gamepark Holdings, creators of the GP2X just released the GP2X value pack which you can get for a mere $209 from http://www.gp2xstore.com. The Value Pack bundle includes the console, 4 games, video tutorials stored in memory, rechargeable batteries, hand strap, console pouch, and set headphones. I'll have to research this system some more, but at first look, it doesn't sound like a bad deal for $209 bucks, huh?

Please feel free to comment especially if you have one of these - I'd like to know!






***This post sponsored by gp2xstore.com***

Looking for Binoculars

My husband and I do quite a bit of fishing, but not as much as we'd like. If you know me or read any of my blogs, you know that I love the outdoors, photography and electronic gadgets. I'd really like to have a pair of binoculars for the boat, because you never know what you might see when on the lake, and if we had the binocular model that has a built-in digital camera, that would be really cool. I'm not sure how far the technology has come, and haven't a clue about the best brands - I may look into the Eagle Optics website for more info, but I know the next time I see some birds diving for baitfish that it would be nice to see if there was a school of fish churning the water under them.

B2B Internet Directory

One of the most important things any business can do for itself is get out there on the web. I mean, what better way to reach the masses at a relatively low cost. Every business owner must take some degree of risk to make money and the Internet is a great way to maximize the reach and scope of any business. How many times a day do you say or hear someone else say the word, "Google?" If I'm looking for something or someone that's one of the first places I look. But how do those businesses get up there in the search hits list? That's where business owners need help - we're not all web developers, right? I've found a Business to business internet directory that offers many products and services to businesses to help them get located during searches, promote site traffic and keep up to date on what is happening in their industry. Contained within this directory is a wealth of business information including press releases, case studies, podcasts, opinions, job openings, new products, new services, business events, company profiles, brochures, presentations, and management bios.

Leadmaverick.com gives you incredible depth to find exactly the business you are looking for in your area. They offer a better way to generate leads from search engines which will help others find you more easily by optimizing, formatting and placing your content online for search engines to find. You don't need to hire an SEO consultant - you get real-time reports. I found the information on the website interesting as I am trying to get more traffic to my blogs...

From Leadmaverick.com's website on Content...

Lead Maverick has 12 tools to help you easily add information about your company. We automatically format it and place it online on our search engine optimized websites. Each tool is specifically designed to help you promote and advertise your company, both locally and nationally, by placing your content on websites that help potential customers find you.

Commentary
Similar to blogging, our commentary tool allows you to share your thoughts and opinions on trends and events happening in your business industry. With this tool you can establish yourself as a thought leader for their business needs.

Press Releases
Creating and distributing a press release can be intimidating. With this tool we provide a simple form for you to add your press release. Don’t worry about editorial review, just place your information online to keep the public updated.

Job Openings
Are you looking to hire? Need a way to attract job hunters online? Then this tool is for you. Lead Maverick makes it easy to post jobs online for search engines to find. And best of all, the contact form is built right into the tool.

Presentations
Place all of your presentations online so that potential customers can learn more about your business. If you are like most companies, you have a variety of visual presentations about your business. Put them online.

Company Profile
This step by step form will help you highlight the unique qualities of your company. From the products and/or services you offer to the management team, this simple form will let your describe your company in detail.

Management Profile
Your management team is important. Prospects who want to do business with your company want to know more about the leadership. With our Management Profile tool you can easily post biographies and pictures of your team online.

Events
Are you hosting a public event? Are you a member of an organization that wants to promote its event? The Event tool provides a centralized event calendar in your area so that customers can find the events to attend.

Brochure
You spent a lot of money on your brochure, isn't it time people got it! Our Brochure tool makes it simple to upload your brochure to the web so that potential customers can easily find it. Place as many brochures online as you like.

Case Study
Often cited as one of the most important pieces of information that a prospect uses to make a purchase decision, our Case Study tool provides a step by step form for you to place your case studies online.

New Product/Service
Do you sell a product and/or service? Our Product/Service tool will help you detail the unique aspects of your product/service and helps you target specific types of individuals who will benefit the most from it.

PodCast
Podcasting is a new method for distributing your rich media files on the web. Once added, this information can easily be retrieved and viewed/listened to by millions of people who use RSS readers or services like Apple iTunes.

Search Engine Exposure
At the heart of the Lead Maverick concept is the idea that as you post your content, it is added to our premier directory website. As indicated earlier, this site is highly optimized to make it easy for search engines to find your content.

HP Puzzle Challenge

HP and PayPerPost have teamed up to bring the posties another puzzle challenge. In this challenge, the posties are scouring the far reaches of the Internet to try to find puzzle pieces to make up the collage of Veronique's, aka the Flaming Tamale, trip to Europe. She recently returned from a week-long trip over there and I hope she'll share all the tons of pictures she took with her new HP M527 digital camera. HP has some really good deals out there if you're looking for a digital camera. I saw an HP Digital Photo Printing package advertised around Christmas that was only about $150 bucks that included a 5 MP HP camera and a compact photo printer to boot - now, that's a deal that would be hard to beat!

Payperpost.com took some of her trip photos and made a collage then split the collage into 30 pieces. The pieces are going to be distributed on blogs throughout the internet and the first person to find all the pieces can grab a $1000 opportunity! Here is puzzle piece number 48 for your viewing enjoyment!



Brought to you by HP

ClearCube Blade PC

A blade PC, also called a PC blade, is a computer that is entirely contained in a circuit card which is placed in a secure location like a server rack. A cable connects the card to the user's monitor, keyboard and mouse. A blade PC is a complete computer including the components you'd find in a desktop PC like the processor, memory, hard drive, video card and network card. A Blade Server is more expensive to implement, but less expensive to maintain, than typical networks where each station has its own box, since the cards and cabling must be installed prior to implementation. If the company has good planning and money to invest, the blade PC model offers many advantages like lower admin, operational, and maintenance demands. One of the largest manufacturers of the Blade Server is ClearCube.