Technology

Situation:

You have 3 or 4 people working on a project. You have deadlines, to-do lists, content to write and more.

How do you organize all of this information? A good solution is Basecamp.

I have used Basecamp to organize several different projects for my clients. It provides one, easy to use place for all of your project’s details. The more organized you are, the less confusion there is and the quicker the work gets completed.

If you want to keep your project organized and flowing smoothly, give Basecamp a try.

(This same company offers a free To Do List program called, Ta-Da List…easy to use and very effective.)

I have several clients who dabble in website design. Many clients let us design and manage their website for them, but we have several brave ones that take the design on themselves and use us simply for hosting….we love those clients just as much as the other ones!

To help the “Do It Yourself” crowd, here is a link to a set of Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP.

There are several “Toys” that you can download to help increase your productivity. There is one in particular that I wanted to highlight: The HTML Slide Show Wizard.

This wizard helps you create an HTML slide show of your digital pictures. Once you follow the simple steps it gives you the HTML code you need to place the slideshow on your Web site.

I’ve used the slideshow wizard and found it to be a nice, easy to use tool. Enjoy!

Sending a large file via e-mail can be a pain. Did it go through? Did they receive it? It really is a guessing game.

I just found a program called DropSend.

How it works:

Instead of e-mailing over a huge file, you upload that file to your DropSend account and e-mail a link to that file.

Instead of sending a huge e-mail that may not get through, you simply send a link.

If you have had issues sending big files via e-mail in the past, this free program (free up to 5 sends a month) is worth a look.

Very easy sign-up. Easy to upload and send files. Good solution to a common e-mail problem.

I haven’t had any success (yet) in generating new business from LinkedIn; but the potential is there as I continue to build my network and contacts.

What am I talking about? I’m talking about an online networking site called LinkedIn. It’s an easy to use platform that gives you the ability to connect with current colleagues/clients as well as make contact with the people that your colleagues/clients know (your extended network.)

Learn about LinkedIn here and I urge you to set-up your own profile and start searching for people you know…you never know what one new connection may lead to.

There are many online business networking websites out there; LinkedIn is the best and most established.

You can view my LinkedIn profile here.

I have a new phone number programmed in my cell phone and that number is 1-800-FREE-411.

If your cell phone provider is like mine (Sprint in my case) you get nicked 50-75 cents every time you call Directory Assistance.

Keep your quarters in your pocket and call 1-800-FREE-411. You’ll have to listen to a quick advertisement, but they get you connected to your requested number quickly.

I am always looking for tools and services to help me get more things done…faster. Springdoo is a new tool that I have found to do just that. Save me time.

Do you ever have a long e-mail that you need to send out? Sometimes those big, long e-mails are tough to tackle and you put the difficult task off until the next day. In walks Springdoo. Instead of typing your message, RECORD your message.

Go to Springdoo.com. Sign up for their free account and follow the directions to create a recording. It’s very easy to create the recording and then send it to someone in an e-mail.

So…get going! Click over to their website and try it out.

It’s a neat, time-saving service.

Everyone has there favorite computer manufacturer. Dell is my favorite. I have purchased several computers from them, both laptops and desktops, and have always been very pleased with the purchase and product.

Support can be difficult at times (I think “Bob” is usually on the other side of the world, not at their headquarters in Round Rock, Texas!) - but luckily I haven’t had the need to contact support very often as their machines have performed well.

Dell’s website allows you to customize your computer, add/subtract features, and helps you see what features may be worth upgrading (for example: you may decide that upgrading to a 19″ monitor is only an additional $40 and well worth it.) Their website is easy to use and they make ordering via their website painless.

My thought for you is to NOT order via their website. Go ahead and customize your computer system the way you want it, save the shopping cart, and then CALL THEM.

My experience has been that the person who will pick-up on the other end works on commission and can play with the numbers a bit. Ask them if they can throw in a free upgrade or knock another $100-200 off the purchase price. They want the sale and if you get a good sales rep, they have the authority to knock that price down for you or throw in a free printer with your order.

All you have to do is ask the question. “Can you do any better on the price?” Or “Can you throw in a free printer with this order?”

Their website doesn’t allow you to ask these questions; calling them does.

You have nothing to lose and a few hundred bucks to gain.

With Dell - Call, Don’t Click.