What Do You Think About Google+ ??

Hello all ... Happy 4th of July!

Google has been making some fireworks of their own this past week ~ wow, what a lot of announcements! Google+ was the BIGGEST announcement and I'm wondering what you think of it? (Visit my weekly mailing if you haven't reviewed it at all, click here!)

Am hoping that you look at each new social network as an opportunity for new ways to connect to your buyers. If you do take that approach you won't be overwhelmed with each new resource AND you won't see it as "another" social network. You'll see it as an additional "way" to create and strengthen connections.

That said, my favorite piece of Google+ is the new video chat. Never have I had any interest in using the live chat platforms in facebook or anywhere else for that matter. BUT, Google+ has what they call a "hangout" section that sounds more inviting and a bit more casual. They compare it to seeing some of your friends hanging out on the front porch as you walk by vs having to up and knock on the door! If it is really that convenient, I'm thinking this would offer more opportunity to get to know some of the "friends" I have that I really don't know well. Some of them being business opportunities. What do you think?

The other "piece" that I like is called Circles. It is where you can drag your friends, etc. into different circles based upon how you know them. Kind of like our email groups. This I really like for business reasons. Not sure yet how easy it will be to manage ... but sounds appealing right now.

Would love to know your thoughts! Are you looking forward to a new social network to use? Are you overwhelmed? Are you ready to leave facebook behind and move on? What do you think?

Please share!!

Keep Your Business Garden Growing!
margie

What's an APP? Which Ones Do You Use For Business?

Hi everyone ...

Everyone is throwing around the word "app" lately like they are all tech gurus. You may be one of them, but do you really know exactly what an app is? I had an assumption and it turns out I was pretty right on, but I gave myself some room for doubt that made me want to check it out... just to be sure I wasn't missing a piece. You never know.

Then there are many who are clueless but act like they know what you are talking about. If that's you I hope this saves you from being in that "spot!" And "really" hope you're not one of the clueless that is actually using the word all the time without any idea of what an app really is (?) ... fess up!!
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Anyway .... it's pretty simple to explain an app. "App" is short for application and in its abbreviated format means a "specific" software application, i.e. software program, used in a mobile smart phone. It let's us do all sorts of things with our phones. If you want more info please visit my weekly mailing that just went out - Click here!

In this blog posting, I'd love to know which apps you use for business? More importantly ....just how much of your office are you now putting into your mobile phones? What can you share?

Some new ones I just found include:
Docs to Go - Allows you to change word, excel, and powerpoint docs on the fly.
RightSignature - Lets you fill in a form(contract) and add a digital signature.
NEOReader - Reads all sorts of barcodes for price shopping, inventory control, etc

Would love to know, again, which ones you use and where you go to find what's out there? The more we can use our smart phones for business while we are in transit or with clients, the more efficient we can maximize our time and increase our profits.

Can't wait to see what you use! Please share.


Meanwhile ...

Keep your business garden growing,
margie

Have You Heard About SQUARE?

Hi everyone ....

Have you heard about SQUARE? It enables anyone in the US with an iPhone, iPad or Android device to sign up and accept credit cards in minutes. The app is free, the card reader is free, and the only fee is per transaction. It's true!

• Have you ever been at a meeting where someone wanted to order something right there on the spot without a check or money and you had no way to accept their credit card?
  
  
• Do you ever go to a trade show or expo and have no way to accept credit cards?
  
  
• Do you have a seasonal business and refuse to pay monthly year round cc fees?
  
  
• Has the length of a cc company's application turned you off to accepting credit cards?
  
  
• Are you on the move all the time and need your phone to be your office?
  
  

SQUARE is for you if any of the above hit home. It takes about 10 minutes to sign up. All you need is a US Bank Account, a physical mailing address in the U.S. and a social security number. You may use a Tax ID number but they will still ask for your social security number.
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Security is high and the only cost is a transaction fee! Can't beat it. I ordered mine. Would love to know if anyone out there has experience using it? Is there anything we should know??
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For more details check out my weekly mailing:
http://www.todaysway.net/weekly/2011may03_square.htm
xxx
Keep your garden growing .....
margie

"ooVoo ME!" Where Are "You" At With Video Chat?

ooVoo Me!

Has anyone asked you this yet? It's a relatively new video chat service! Much like Skype but with some variances.

A couple of advantages over Skype include:

1. ooVoo allows for your contacts who have NOT downloaded ooVoo, to still be able to talk with you from their web browser via the Web Video Calling feature. Great for those who may be on the move, at a public place, friend's computer, etc., who can't download the program, or don't want to for whatever reason.
   
   
2. ooVoo allows you to embed video onto your blog, website or social networking site via the web video chat feature. Great for building relationships, having meetings, etc.
   

Lots of its features are free.... all you need is broadband internet access and a computer with a webcam and microphone (and a headset works great if you have one).

There is a great breakdown of all the ooVoo features and a short comparison to Skype in my weekly mailing which you may access here! Take a peek! (If you would like to get on my mailing list go to my website.) As with all marketing resources, review and pick out what works best for "you."

All this leads me to asking you where "video chat" is in your marketing strategy? If you are a current Skype user, what are you using it for in your business? Do you think it works for trainings? Meetings? What works? What doesn't work?

My thoughts about ooVoo is that it is one more step towards video being a norm for communicating! More and more video, in the chat format, is like being there! ooVoo brings us more options for when we are on the run in that it supports communications with or without "both" ends having the technology. Not sure how many people are ready to be "seen" as they work, but that aside .... the time for video chat has arrived. Even in email ....something I personally would not support for a long time. Anyone thinking along the same lines?

As always, you want to enhance your business communications with you choice of marketing resources. It's not just having "video chat" that will increase your bottom line. It is what you are saying over video chat and where you have applied it within your communication strategy that will increase your bottom line.

If you are wondering about where you might apply video chat within your business communications please share your concerns here. We can all work together in getting some answers for you.

You may also be interested in my "weekly special" ....part of my weekly mailing that I opened up to my blog readers last week and will do again this week! The first two blog readers who respond will receive my weekly special ... just say "blog" when you call or email.

In the mean time ...

Keep your business growing ...
margie

Who? What? Which? When? How? Got Online Overwhelm?

Ever find yourself looking at a new online resource and asking ... Who? What? Which? When? How? Happens to a lot of people as they get introduced to yet one more online resource that will solve all their online marketing problems.

The good news is that online overwhelm can be easy to solve. Believe it or not the core elements for marketing and selling online are the same as the traditional roles we all know so well - client, product, store/office, advertising, training, service, staff, sales, mail, phone, networking. No different, just different players! You just need to "breathe" ... and create a map.

A map allows you to assign a defined purpose to each of your online resources. It helps eliminate duplication, (the cause of much wasted time & confusion) and makes sure you have all your "crucial' bases covered! It also makes it easier to develop a strategy for all your resources.... making them work together with a goal of maximizing your results from the least amount of resources.

Give it a try. If you need an example, go to my weekly mailing, that I just sent out, where I outlined some of the basic assignments of the more popular resources. It will give you an idea of a basic map. You can access it by clicking here:

What I would love to know in this posting is what is "your" confusion? What makes you get online overwhelm OR how do you prevent it from happening?? Please share with us .... cause as this year evolves with web3.0 and more and more video and more and more mobile interactions, we all need to get control of ourselves and our businesses!

And also ... let me invite you to participate in my weekly special. Be one of the first two to contact me via phone or email and tell me you found out about the special via my blog. The special is any of my trainings listed here at 1/2 off. I'm feeling really good tonight so take advantage!


In the mean time ....
Keep your business growing!
margie

The New Facebook Business Page Look

Hi ..

Did you upgrade yet? If you haven't heard, facebook business pages are getting some capabilities that lots of people have been waiting for! If you are a business owner you will really like the changes ... at least that is my prediction. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Now you can LIKE other pages and leave postings on other pages as a business! It's optional, via settings, but something I believe many of you will want. There is still a personal touch available as page administrator profile images are shown at the top right hand corner of the page. A simple click will take you to their personal accounts.
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• Another plus is that you can target post - per country, state, city and even language!
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• You will be notified via email when a posting is left on your business page. This will be the same as you've been experiencing on your personal page. One addition - you can block profanity! Not that "you" would get such a posting, but good to know!
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• You can choose via settings if first time visitors see only the page postings or all the postings. People who LIKE your page get the same options!

Take a look at a complete listing on my weekly mailing ....click here Take a look and tell me if you like these changes? What is your favorite? What don't you like? Would love to know ....
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Right now the upgrade is optional. You can preview and then go ahead and upgrade if you want ... however, once you do upgrade there is no going back. On March 10th everyone's business pages will receive this upgrade. I'd get myself ready now!!! Call with questions!
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Keep your business growing ...
margie

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