GREAT ADAPTATIONS

(Note: This is a guest post by Jennifer Smith, Owner of Eco-Office Gals, part of my Introductions series while I am away. Enjoy!)

Green, Paperless, Eco-this and that, you can’t get away from the green effort these days. NOT growing green in your small business seems so much easier. After all, you’re just a small business, how much damage can you really do?

Regardless of businesses size or type, one fact remains static - the Earth isn’t going anywhere any time soon, but continuing to trash it will make it a hostile environment for every person and every business, no matter how big or small.

This is the realization that came to me as I started Eco-Office Gals. I spent ten years working as a real world administrative assistant not thinking twice about printing, shredding, filing & storing massive amounts of paper. Driving 35 miles each way to an office was an inconvenience to me and my wallet, environment was never a factor. Grabbing my turtle mocha cappuccino and Chinese take out from one of my many choices on Main Street was commonplace. It took reading, learning and willingness to become aware of the impact I had made and what needed to change. I also learned that taking steps, not leaps, was the only way I could make a difference.

Today is a good day for Eco-Office Gals if I didn’t turn my printer on, if I drank my coffee out of the same cup all day and ate last night’s dinner for lunch. Today is a great day for business if it succeeded in making another small business paperless, helped someone start an online business, or shared what I learned about making a smaller impact to anyone that is willing to listen, learn and encourage.

Eco-Office Gals strives to have a great day for business everyday. My mission is to share my green steps, useful information and resources that I find and provide a site where other small businesses can start taking their first green steps and in turn encourage others to do the same.

Eco-Office Gals – Small Businesses Growing Green One Step At A Time!

(Note: This guest post by Connie Boaitey is part of my introductions series. Enjoy!)

Podcasting is a driving force in the Web 2.0 evolution. It is giving rise to entrepreneurial empowerment through web-based multimedia. It is also providing new ways of learning and sharing information; moreover, podcast production tools are simpler and more accessible than ever to anyone with a computer.

Podcasting is egalitarian in its power to draw a wide audience of listeners, creating an opportunity which businesses of all sizes cannot afford to miss.

There are three immediate benefits podcasting can give any business:

1. Self-generating referrals.

2. Become the knowledge resource for your clients through podcasting.

3. Share changes and trends that are important to your clients.

Don’t get left behind while others capture new audiences through this exciting technology!

Want to know more about the explosive marketing potential podcasting can have on your business? Tune into my podcast “Jump Start Your Marketing” on iTunes or Podcast Alley.

Connie on iTunes

(http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=284590580)

Connie on Podcast Alley

(http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=59600)

Do you have a podcast or want to start one? Please share your podcasts stories or questions.

Connie Boaitey
Web Visibility Coach
http://www.iConnie.com

(Note to readers: This is a guest post by Rebekah Jones, as part of my end-of-summer introductions series. Enjoy!)

Remember the old days? When you were seeking information on a topic or looking for that perfect gift, you knew exactly where to go. The librarian went to grade school with you and the department store clerk coached your son’s Little League team. You knew you could trust their judgment and advice. Today, we are constantly bombarded with information and advertising from every corner. With the advancement of the Internet, that has never been more true. Anyone can put anything on the Internet…and they do!
When we are putting our own sites online, we know that we are trustworthy. But how can we show that to our website visitors? People today are being taught evaluation techniques to implement when reviewing websites. If we understand what they are looking for, we can be sure to provide them with that information. There are four specific keys to website evaluation: Authority, Accuracy, Currency, and Objectivity. Let’s look at each of these very briefly.
Authority
When designing and creating content for your website, make sure you include exactly who you are. You might be surprised at the number of websites that share information or attempt to sell a product and yet never clearly state who they are or who the parent company is.
Accuracy
Hire a proofreader. Seriously. Many people do not take the time to have their website proofread and the typos and grammar errors that are usually sprinkled throughout are the biggest credibility killers.
Currency
People like to know when certain information was published. If you are blogging, the date of the post is usually displayed. However, if you are writing articles for your website or elsewhere, including the date of the article is paramount to keeping you credible in the eyes of your visitor.
Objectivity
Presenting your information with a minimum of bias is not as easy as it sounds! Your desire should be for your visitor to recognize the value of your information—not because you spoke passionately, but because you took a step back and shared the whole picture.
This is just a small taste of what you can do to increase the credibility of your website—and you! If you are interested in learning more about this topic, I invite you to register for my free teleclass. We will be discussing these four keys and looking at even more ways you can increase your website’s credibility.
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Rebekah Jones is a Virtual Assistant and Business Trainer for Real Estate Agents. She provides simple strategies for streamlining business tasks, thereby giving Agents the freedom to grow their business. Are you ready to minimize your time behind the desk and get back out there to meet with potential clients? Then be sure to visit www.rjprofessionalservices.com for your free information!

(Note: In this guest post by Yana Berlin of www.fabulously40.com, we explore not only the way products are designed, but how we speak and how we think about the challenges of our own lives.)

Only a woman can get away with a statement of this nature. And only a woman who has born and cared for a child can relate to this fact.

When a child’s life is placed in the hands of a woman, she automatically becomes handicapped. At that moment, she is left with only one arm to navigate through life, and will do everything while balancing a baby in one arm. She must learn to get dressed, cook, clean, and even put on makeup while taking care of the small bundle of joy that happily resides in her other arm.

Of course, this is not a foreign concept to us women. But I was pleasantly surprised to learn that manufacturers have finally begun to embrace this concept as well.

In the past, manufacturers would design and market their products primarily for men. If a product did well, the manufacturer would go back to the drawing board and redesign the same product for women. It would be the same basic product, only they would make it smaller and in pink. Then they would launch a marketing campaign to introduce the “new” product.

Thanks to the increasing economic power of women, the times they are a’changing.

In today’s business environment, where technology changes at the speed of light and companies face more competition than ever, manufacturers have to be on top of their game. For the first time, many companies that cater to women are including mothers in the new product development process. They are finally sketching, building, prototyping, and manufacturing products with the one-armed mother in mind.

At the same time, CEOs, CTOs and venture capitalists are all looking for ways to make their products more appealing to women. We ladies have got their attention, and now we are calling the shots!

According to the November 2006 issue of Consumer Reports, women are shopping more than men, especially on the Internet. And in an article entitled “What Do Women Want?” Yahoo Finance suggests that women are becoming more technically savvy and that smart companies are starting to pay close attention.

So the next time you hit upon a great idea to simplify your life by developing a new product or improving on an existing one, don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. Call the company and give them your idea or your feedback.

Who knows, you might just make a positive impact in the lives of your sisters all over the world.

All the best,

Yana Berlin
www.fabulously40.com

While the conversation around social media heats up, I want to be sure you know about Erica O’Grady. Read about her at her blog, Reinventing Erica, and look at what she’s been up to.

I met Erica at the San Francisco Social Media Camp, which was a total blast, by the way. When I get finished with the book, Web 55.0, and head out on the road, I hope to get into some of Erica’s playgrounds and see what we can cook up. Meanwhile, we’ll share some stories this Friday at dinner in North Beach. I’ll keep you posted! (That’s almost a pun, isn’t it?)

You keep me posted too. How is social media treating you? Confused? Exhilarated? Can’t get enough? What sites are you on? Go check out Social Media dot biz, it’s pretty special. And keep writing, everyone.

See you soon,

Suzanna

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Something is afoot. I’ve been gathering profiles of early Internet adapters for my coming book, “Web 55.0.” I’m looking for women and men in the Boomer demographic (or older), to tell the story of how older generations have discovered communication technology and put it to use as the dream-realizer it can be.

I have some amazing stories collected, but as far as the responses are concerned, one thing stands out: Women outnumber men 20 to 1.

Before I go out making any outrageous claims, I’m doing some more research. But here’s my theory of the moment.

Women are experiencing an explosive growth in their I-can-do-this factor. The Internet, with its radical inclusivity and extreme leveling potential, provides all the missing pieces for entrepreneurial women. Through groups and forums, it even provides the fertile soil where women can discover they do indeed have a desire to do something great. Men have been out there “manifesting” for centuries. Women have some pent-up energy. Look out.

If you have any good statistics I can use to support my theory, point me in that direction. I find this all very interesting.

Cheers!

Suzanna

For some compelling evidence of women developing an online presence, go see Beverly Mahone’s site,

Boomer Diva Nation

Be sure and visit the Examiner today, I’ve written a couple of posts. One is to help keep the Boomer-brain happy through the technological learning curves of social media, here:

The friendly Internet

And the other one is to congratulate Beverly Mahone on the birthday of her site, Boomer Diva Nation.

Boomer Diva Nation’s Year of Living Exponentially

See you there!!

Suzanna

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I’m writing about my experiences at Social Media Camp, and all the gazillions of connections it triggered, over at the Examiner.

Here’s the link for the first article, “Inside the brain of social media, my brain and Erica O’Grady”

And here’s the second one, “Making connections with the business-builders in social media.”

There’s much more to come, as I can’t seem to process the information quickly enough before it mushrooms into another world of its own, which I then have to navigate.

I think it’s time for a brain break myself!

cheers

Suzanna

I’ve posted in honor of Olive Riley, an Australian woman who passed away over the weekend at the age of 109. Olive RIley, or “Ollie” as her friends called her, was the oldest blogger. She started blogging at 107. Olive left us a wonderful legacy of her writing and her life, along with videos posted on Youtube.

I’m humbled and inspired. Come over to my Examiner column, where you can read more about Olive and follow the links to the special gifts she left us.

Suzanna

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After hearing from Martin G. Walker, I had to compile a few links to some exciting and fascinating brain research. Head over to my Examiner post, where I direct you to these important discoveries. Oh, those brains of ours! All they want is a little extra love!

Cheers,
Suzanna