#thriveorsurvive.
No one goes to the Olympics for silver.
Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.
Small businesses can have big problems — but not always the big budgets needed to solve them.
In the early days of my company, we were always on the lookout for affordable technology that would make our jobs easier. Unfortunately, poor user interfaces and inadequate support meant most business apps were often more trouble than they were worth.
Over the years, however, I’ve found a few that I truly can’t live without. These five are easy to use, cloud-based, and scalable, so that they’ll grow along with your company. Best of all, each app has a free or nearly free version for businesses just getting off the ground.
1. Zendesk
Zendesk simplifies and streamlines customer service. The app consolidates all customer communications — email, social media, websites, and even phone — into individual “tickets” that your entire team can access and respond to. You can automate standard responses, store customer histories, and create product forums where customers can interact and answer each other’s questions.
Zendesk offers a special “Starter Plan” for up to three users for $20 per year. Regular monthly plans start at $24 per user.
2. Google Drive
File-sharing is a critical part of a growing business, and Google Drive makes it nearly foolproof. Multiple users
can collaborate in real time, creating, editing, and commenting on documents in the cloud. Revisions save automatically, and, most importantly, you can access your documents from any device. All of this represents a huge productivity leap over the old-fashioned approach: attaching documents to emails and sending endless iterations back and forth.
Individual users get 15 GB of free storage. Monthly business plans start at $5 per user and include 30 GB of storage.
3. Evernote
Say goodbye to sticky notes. Evernote is an indispensable vacuum cleaner-style app that sucks up all of the random data you encounter on the Internet and in your real life. Whether it’s excerpts from websites, photos, voice memos, documents, or handwritten scribbles, it all gets stored and organized in the cloud as individual “notes.” These notes can then be sorted, tagged, edited, and even shared with colleagues. All of this information is in turn accessible across all of your devices and automatically synced.
Individual users can upload up to 60 MB of content per month for free. Evernote Business ($10 per user per month) offers 1 GB per month.
4. MailChimp
Image via CrunchBase
While social media has proliferated, old-fashioned email marketing remains a critical way to reach clients and build connections. MailChimp is a no-nonsense, intuitive tool for creating email lists and keeping track of which customers are opening messages and clicking on links. You can easily import contacts and even segment your lists so subscribers receive only relevant emails. MailChimp also includes basic A/B testing features, for comparing which subject lines and send times work best.
Free users can send up to 12,000 emails per month to up to 2,000 subscribers. Unlimited plans start at $10 per month.
5. HootSuite
Disclaimer: HootSuite is my company, so I’m not impartial. But I’m also not the only one who thinks it’s a valuable tool. Seven million people and thousands of small businesses use HootSuite to manage their social media communications. A web-based dashboard lets you access dozens of social networks in one place. You can set up streams to monitor keywords and specific followers, as well as access detailed analytics reports showing who’s reading and responding to your posts.
HootSuite’s free plan allows tracking for up to 5 social profiles. The $8.99 per month pro plan offers tracking for up to 50 profiles and advanced analytics.
All of these business apps have stood the test of time and have healthy, growing userbases, which means they’ll be around for the long haul, with regular updates to keep things fresh. Apart from being mobile-ready, they also integrate seamlessly with desktop browsers. Google Chrome users, for instance, can add extensions that boost the functionality of all of these apps, enabling you to save web content directly into Evernote as you browse, for instance, or instantly share URLs on social media with HootSuite’s Hootlet. (Google has compiled a very handy list of the best small business apps for Chrome here.)
Did you like this post? To read my weekly insights on social media, leadership, and tech trends, just click the ‘follow’ button at the top of this page.
For more social media insight and to learn more about my company, follow HootSuite on LinkedIn.
Small Goals Win Wars.
That’s right folks. You don’t win the war by Conquering the country.
You take one port at a time.
You take one fortress at a time.
Bridge by bridge, city by city- small goals always win wars.
And so now you are saying, hey Tony why are you talking of war when we need more teachings on how to make money and be successful?
Well folks because the same lessons apply to business.
To win over clients, you have to be relentless but not ruthless.
How you ask?
Small Goals.
That’s it.
You need more leads?
Make your social media influence bigger one day at a time.
Aim to make 5 new friends on twitter a month. That’s it. 5. Let them be targeted people. Those who want a business. Who have a dream.
Apply the same logic to Facebook.
Have tumblr or other forms of blogs and social interaction? Mirror your activities on those sites.
Everyday, every week, every month should have a set goal.
In week 1 add a few followers on twitter and facebook.
In week 2 add followers in tumblr and foursquare.
In week 3 make sure they opt-in to your offerings.
In week 4 make sure you send them amazing content. Content that vastly supersedes that previous weeks.
In this manner you create attainable goals and content matter that reaches people.
Effective material and attainable goals don’t only make you money.
They have the benefit of providing a clear and easy path for all recruits/ and or partners.
What you can do, your team should be able to do.
I don’t care if you’re a team of 1- you need a plan that everyone can duplicate.
After the social media goals,
Repeat the same formula with your sales goals.
And then with your conversion goals.
Remember some people are only 1 time sales.
And some people are great conversions that build a dream along side you.
Lead a team. Build a dream.
Do it incrementally.
He who knows the enemy and himself will never in a hundred battles be at risk….(Sun-Tzu; The Art of War. Fourth Century B.C)
#thriveorsurvive.
No one goes to the Olympics for silver.
Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.
#thriveorsurvive.
No one goes to the Olympics for silver.
Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.
#thriveorsurvive.
No one goes to the Olympics for silver.
Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.
Feeling overworked, overwhelmed and overloaded? You have way more control over your time and productivity than you realize.
Well, get this. Most of your productivity drain is your own doing. You give in to social media distraction because you crave a quick fix for attention. You spend too much time in your inbox because it makes you feel important. You waste ridiculous amounts of time doing things that don’t really matter because you choose to do them.
You know what you need to do: Work. Provide for yourself and your loved ones. And you know what matters in life: Having fun. Spending time with family and friends. So do all that. Don’t do the other stuff, or at least separate them so you’re aware that you’ve chosen to waste your time.
Here are seven ideas to help you get started:
1. Don’t tweet during the day. I don’t know about you, but for me, alcohol is off limits until after 5. Why? Because it destroys your productivity. Well, guess what? So does social media. Do your tweeting, blogging, posting, status updating, whatever, after work, like while you’re watching the tube.
2. Quit organizing. You know all those different methods for organizing stuff like your emails and files? I’ve never done any of that. Okay, maybe I do a little, but the absolute minimal amount. I have the biggest email inbox you’ve ever seen. It goes back years. So what? You need to find something? Use search. PC isn’t good enough? Get a Mac.
3. Use hard stops. I had a lunch meeting the other day. At the start, my associate announced that he had a hard stop at 2pm. That drove the meeting. And guess what? We were done at 2. It’s called a deadline. Deadlines force discipline. That’s why deadlines work. Use them.
4. Don’t do more; do less. It’s called prioritization. You know, what we all used to do before self help, time management, and personal productivity became big business. Decades ago I learned to classify To Dos as priority A (time critical), B (important), or C (everything else). When your As are done, take on the Bs. After a few years you learn that you never get to the Cs. And you know what? It never matters.
5. Learn to say no and never say maybe. I like getting attention. I like helping people. It’s always been a big motivator for me. When I realized that saying no was a bigger disappointment for me than it was for whoever was asking me to do something, it got easier to say. Don’t know what to say no to? If it’s not a goal, a priority, important, or fun, say no. And never say maybe. That’s just being controlling and self-important.
6. Mute your devices. When you’re supposed to be working and getting things done, close your email application or mute your PC or Mac so you don’t hear the chime. Ignore that tug to respond right away to every request. If you really want to do it right, set aside a small chunk of time the same time every day to email. Also, never answer a call unless you’re expecting it or have time for it. Even if it’s your boss.
7. Work at home. Most executives spend their days in meetings. Carving out significant chunks of time to get any real work done is a challenge. So I got in the habit of doing presentation and budget work at home. A lot of my strategizing and thinking, too. If you’ve got young kids running around, though, that can make it tough.
Here’s the thing. What used to be our priorities, the things that made our careers successful and fulfilling, our lives meaningful and happy, have somehow become optional.
The long term benefits that come from working, playing, thinking, feeling, exercising, eating right, and sleeping, now take a backseat to the instant gratification of distraction, addiction, self-importance, attention seeking, and minutiae.
To fit all that in, our lives have become overloaded and overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be that way. You set the priorities. You make the choices. You have way more control than you realize.
STEVE TOBAK is a management consultant, an executive coach, and a former senior executive of the technology industry. He’s managing partner of Invisor Consulting, a Silicon Valley-based strategy consulting firm. Contact Tobak; follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
@SteveTobak
Recently I’ve upgraded my hunger.
Let me explain. You see i love writing, reading, and interviewing people.
Yup as I’ve built my sites and my dreams I decided that I wanted to interview not just entrepreneurs but my favorite emcees and entrepreneurial heroes as well.
So I made a list, and yeah I checked it twice (lol).
I decided on 7 rappers and 3 DJ’s. After that the entrepreneurs come. Now I got off track and lost that order as some amazing people stumbled into my path. Miss163, Jean Alerte, and Javier Saldana to name just a few. And boy was it worth it.
However today I’m here to talk about the waterproof emcee, The Lyrical Master, RAS KASS.
This lyricist, sorry rapper is to shitty a term, was not only down to earth but gracious, intelligent, genuine, and cool as a fan.
BH: How did you get started with rap?
RK: Hearing older cats rapping and getting the bug to rhyme had me. I was a late bloomer in the rap game. rap resonated heavy for me after 6th grade.
BH: Who was your favorite rapper growing up?
RK: Kool G Rap, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD and Kool MO Dee.
BH: Nice.
RK: But I patterned myself after KRS One. He was more informative.
BH: How many albums have you done?
RK: Conceptually 9. But some were leaked, bootlegged or blocked. A former manager lost one as well so there is a litany of Ras Kass that isn’t out to the market a a whole.
BH: Speaking of hold outs- did you run up on the label for your masters? As a non-fan the legend of you literally taking back what was yours by force was awe inspiring to me. The willingness on your part to go to jail to feed the seed as I heard it, is amazing.
RK: I did what the situation called for no regrets.
BH: What are your current plans in hip hop?
RK: I’m staying in. I haven’t done all I want. I have more to say and more to obtain fiscally. The game is never done for me. It is a career not a cycle. I have so much more in store.
BH: A rebirth?
RK: Naw. I’m doing it til I’m done with it.
BH: Thoughts on the rap game?
RK: It is really just the pimp game turned on it’s back. You could call it the new form of slavery. It is all business nut business has an objective and talent gets the short end of the stick.
BH: You left handed or right handed?
RK: Left handed.
BH: Word?! ME TOO!!
RK: you find a lot of talented and or simply successful emcees are left handed their mindset and general existence is geared towards creativity and expressing innate talent.
BH: thoughts on The Horsemen?
RK: I left the group in 2012 but they are my brothers. Forever we will work together. We are friends to the next level.
BH:Thoughts on Slaughterhouse claiming the fame of said name?
RK: Hey, they did what we couldn’t- make commercial success from their unity. They got it out execution wise so how can I argue.
RK: They did what Wu-Tang did as they set out and respect is deserved. They say God laughs when you make plans…
BH: Your son Taj Austin rhymes as well. Thoughts? feelings?
RK: He was rapping since he was little. His mother is a singer and I’m a lyricist so he is set up well. As I was coming up I had no one to bounce ideas and concepts off of. He has the benefit of both our experience to add direction and or guidance to his career/objectives.
BH: How did you come up with the track Interview With A Vampire?
RK: It started as a joke. I said I could do a song with Jesus on an island and if no one heard it, it would still be worthless. From there the song evolved almost on its own.
BH: As a lyricist myself I feel you. Some songs seem to write themselves.
RK: Indeed some tracks I cough and they damn near done.
BH: What is your favorite song you have done?
RK: I don’t have one. My catalog is 20,000 songs deep or more and they are all reflective of what I’ve done, where I’ve been, and who I am. I can’t pick one honestly.
BH: I came to be a fan of yours quite late- 2005 or so to be honest. But between your verses with CANibus and and the Horsemen I was won over before I heard your early works. As I’ve matured since then I’ve invested in all of your catalog I could find. And as such I have to ask- Where did you conceive of the cover for the EAT OR DIE Mixtape that released in stores?
RK: It was a tribute to the photographer. He went for pictures and came back with a conscious. And in the end he took his own life. Reality was really raw for him.
BH: Newest project?
RK: Barmageddon the album that dropped this year. It is pure hip hop with the feeling of raw lyricism.
If you listen to Barmageddon you hear I’m still human, still love hip hop, still love to rap.
BH: Amen! As a fan I’ve heard it and concur.
Where can fans reach you/find you?
RK: @raskass is perfect.
http://raskass.bandcamp.com/album/barmaggedon for the new album and links to cop my catalog.
BH: Shout out to RAS KASS, The Waterproof Emcee.
#blogheavy
RIGHT THE WRONGS FOUNDATION LLC: WHY DON’T WE SUPPORT THEM EN-MASS?.
Folks, I’ve been real blessed.
And I don’t mean what my parents did for me.
The last 4 months I’ve had the privilege of sitting with an amazing group of men and women who want nothing more than to give and or give back, \You see there are people who never had who refuse not give back.
There are also individuals who have had and refuse not to give beyond the scope of their existence. And in a day and time where the average inner city community member is labeled as greedy, selfishly zealous, or just pure ignorant I’ve been blessed to sit and speak with leaders and visionaries who spend all of their time consumed in one mission: giving back.
On April 23rd I was privileged to sit with Javier Saldana of RIGHT THE WRONGS FOUNDATION LLC. And this brother was the real deal.
RIGHT THE WRONGS FOUNDATION LLC is about giving back and job creation. It is literally that simple. Now I can break down their mission statement for 8 pages but it boils down to a sincere drive to put people back into the work force. It doesn’t end there either. the long term goal is to create a viable workforce with longevity. not a flash in the pan, one term measure of growth- but real numbers. And beyond the numbers are the people. Jobs have been a lot more scarce since 2007 or so. And while there is a lot of talk about jobs and helping the average Joe- I don’t see much folks.
So What Can We Do?
We can support Javier Saldana and RIGHT THE WRONGS FOUNDATION LLC.
Why?
BH: What does RIGHT THE WRONGS FOUNDATION LLC do?
JS: We provide the skills and tools for employable longevity to those we serve.
BH: Expound on that please.
JS: In the world of business and industry there are jobs. In fact there is a deep need, about 2 million open spots. And while we cannot provide the exact training job for job, we can reinforce the basics and lead a multi-generational movement in workplace intelligence and etiquette.
BH: So you have a multi point plan, break that down deeper for my readers please.
JA: Simply put, there are three key facets: Employ-ability, interviews, and etiquette. These facets, when mastered increase the ability of any individual to rise beyond their daily existence to become pivotal players, leaders, and integral parts of their communities.
BH: Is college the answer?
JA: Not always. Simply put there are individuals that school simply isn’t meant for. But they may got to their local McDonald’s and start from the bottom and rise to become a regional vice president or better. Skill sets are vastly suitable for a large percent of the population, especially when we build them up so their esteem and self-profitability become more than concepts, and rise to be innate traits.
BH: So the main goal then is?
JS Sustainability. It has never been about getting them a job and walking away. The goal is to create a fulcrum of pure, sustainable, community based growth. In the end it isn’t jobs- it is a life skills set that leaves the community at large enriched.
BH: So if I hear you right you don’t advocate college over a career plan?
JA: Not at all. As a species we are vastly diverse. So to expect the same result from all of the species is redundantly ignorant. instead we aim to meet the needs of the population as a whole. From that perspective success becomes synonymous simply with action.
BH: Could we sum up the general flow then as 1st knowing your mindset. And 2nd acting accordingly?
JA:YES.
#BlogHeavy
Have you met Jean Alerte?
I have and the man is on fire! I interviewed him recently at the Latiq Agarde benefit that I was privileged to attend. As a key note speaker he electrified the room. We sat down together to discuss, life, leadership, and frozen yogurt.
-When did you begin your entrepreneurial journey?
JA: it began at the age of 18 and has grown and evolved with me. I am now 31.
What made you write your impressive tome Do Right Do Good?
JA: The goal was to inspire one kid. One Single kid/teen. That’s it. And that was prefaced by a young gentleman I worked with who told me “Jean you need to write a book.” And after thinking about it a while it all came together.
-How long did it take to write Do Right Do Good?
JA: From concept to completion the writing of the book took about 3 months. It took about a year to complete as far as publishing, cover creation et al. From its inception it seemed to literally write itself. It came to me naturally.
-I noticed you don’t sell your book on Amazon, a trend that is quite enormous among new writers-Why?
JA: I donate $10 dollars of every sale to charity. To sell units through Amazon would cheat those who benefit from these funds. Every copy is also personally signed by me and shipped by me with a care package. The personal touch is not only cool but for the young readers it impacts them greatly. It makes an indelible mark that resonates for them for years to come.
-Do you see more writing in your future?
JA: of course.
-Will you be opening a non-profit such as Latiq to impact even more young lives?
JA: I can see that occurring in the future.
-Recently your newest venture, Brooklyn Swirl, a frozen yogurt stand was featured on Love & Hip Hop, how did that come about?
JA: It was a known favorite of some of the cast and they approached us for filming purposes. The exposure was great.
-Hiring practice:
JA: I only hire people who live in the same area of Brooklyn where Brooklyn Swirl is located. It keeps the dollars in the community and builds the economic zone and gives self esteem to the youth I hire.
I could literally write two more pages about Jean. The son of Haitian immigrants, Jean completed his college education and went on to the finance industry. He set goals and reached them. He is literally the definition of follow through. As an educator I was preach to the young adults I work with that discipline and follow through accomplish more than talent. Michael Jordan practiced with fervor. And more to the point he wasn’t the legend from the get go. He wasn’t above average either. He worked at it. Talent helps, but discipline is the key and Jean Alerte may be the living embodiment of it.
Buy the book, donate to the scholarship, eat the yogurt. If you’re going to support someone he is the obvious choice.
The economy hit the crapper 5+ years ago.
You know it, I know it.
And no matter what occurs, or how the media portrays events and numbers that will likely, and consistently be revised lower. Now I’m not an alarmist, or a fool. I just have a talent for numbers when it comes to money.
Now I have my own strategy to weather the current economic challenges and most others that might occur. And I’m not going to pitch you or regale you with my tales of fiscal wizardry.
Instead I’ve got two rules to get you ahead in life.
Be On Time.
Be Better Than The Next Guy.
That’s it.
Be On Time.
You can’t lose if you’re never late.
You can not win if your always late.
Point, blank, period.
That’s life.
If you have a boss he won’t care. Excuses are for losers. How are you giving your all if you can’t be on time.
And I’ve heard it all folks, kids, sleepy, two jobs- its irrelevant.
The boss needs you in your spot now.
Not tomorrow. Be on time.
Now if you are the boss- Set The Example.
Lead my doing. When you slack they slack. And should you own the company, its your venture, your product, your baby- be the clock. Not on time the clock.
It’s a funny thing, the guy who gets their first, leaves last, and works the hardest usually wins.
Be Better Than The Next Guy.
It’s not good enough to be average.
Mediocre is not the new black. And though many people want to do less and get more they don’t realize that requires effort. You can get rich in less hours.
But you have to give more or sacrifice more. And usually its a healthy amount of both.
The guy who gets B’s gets it done. No question. I was a B student in my youth.
I was also highly distracted and unmotivated.
As I got older I gave more, tried harder. When I wanted 8 pack abs I got them by doing endless crunches and research. I had an expensive book on abs that taught me small techniques that changed my approach to ab workouts forever. When I wanted to bench 325 lbs on the flat bench I went at it with the zeal of a madman. Twice a week I worked chest. I ate better, varied my routine and worked harder and longer than all the guys who said that it was “too much weight.”
Yup. I won’t that round.
When I went back to college- I had a high gpa. My last transcripts states 3.98.
I don’t cheat, I don’t waste time.
I figured out what was needed and what would work and who my competition was and delivered better work in class and on paper.
And when I started blogging I set a few target goals and I’ve hit all but one.
A) That one goal was a long term one.
B) And that specific goal is on the horizon.
To sum it up- be the best.
No one goes to the Olympics for silver.
Thoughts? Concerns?
Questions? Think I’m wrong?
Let’s chat.
Need ideas?
Want to learn how to invite?
Let’s chat.
Want a mentor or maybe the guy who will bounce ideas back and forth with you?
Let’s chat-
Tony@Changeinadvance.com
@changeinadvance
http://www.changeinadvance.com
Or simply reply to this article.
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Changeinadvance 