Look up a word in the Visual Thesaurus, and that word literally explodes across the screen. Watch your word become the center of a color-coded network of related words. Then set your screen in motion. Explore interconnections. Consider synonyms. Analyze antonyms. Check your word’s parts of speech in the right sidebar. It’s pretty much word-working paradise—all with a few mouse clicks.

You can test the Visual Thesaurus—free! Just type your word into the box at the top of the home page—or hit the “Random Word” button for fun. Then sit back and think in a whole new way.

The Visual Thesaurus is available in both online and desktop editions. No matter which format you choose, you’ll have more than 145,000 words to explore. An online subscription runs about $20 a year. You can even incorporate the Visual Thesaurus into Microsoft Word.

Why do I find this little writing tool so helpful? I’m a linear thinker: I usually go from A to B to C. The Visual Thesaurus forces me to take side trips to R, S and T—and not necessarily in that order. It breaks up my mental logjams and sends me off in creative directions.

Does the Visual Thesaurus work for everyone? No. One person basically said to me, “Why is this helpful?” You either “get it” or you don’t. And either you’ll use it—or you won’t.

How about you? Is the Visual Thesaurus a writing tool you would use? Give it a try and let me know. Have some creative ways you already use it? Let me hear about those, too.

As a freelance copywriter, I find the Visual Thesaurus to be a great writing tool when I’m stuck for the right word. Why? Getting “unstuck” is so much fun!

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved

Here’s what I’ve learned about how I learn: I love online, how-to videos.

Armed with a free trial, I recently tried out Lynda.com, a popular computer training Web site. Named for co-founder Lynda Weinman, this site offers nearly 900 computer skills courses taught with byte-sized, on-demand training videos. Learn graphic design, computer languages, and business applications on your own schedule. Spend an afternoon polishing your tech skills. Spend a day learning new ones. Training doesn’t get much more flexible than this.

So how does Lynda.com training stack up? To find out, I tackled Microsoft Word 2007: Styles in Depth with Mariann Siegert. This course offers more than 3 hours of practical training, practically presented. I liked Mariann’s comfortable, show-and-tell approach. I also liked the short, manageable lessons.

And I just love anything SEO. So I really enjoyed SEO: Search Engine Optimization Getting Started. Jill Whalen of HighRankings.com packs a lot of information into a fast 2 hours and 20 minutes. She covers everything from targeting keywords to tweaking Google Analytics. Just one complaint: I wanted more. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a “Getting Started” course. There wasn’t time to go deep on every topic in every chapter.

Overall, I was pleased with my Lynda.com experience. It worked for me.

And anybody can sample individual lessons from any Lynda.com course. Free! There are budget-friendly subscriptions, too. Get unlimited, anytime access to all online tutorials for $25 per month. It’s $37.50 per month if you want the exercise files. An annual subscription runs $250 ($375 with exercises).

Bottom line: Online computer training is a practical alternative to classroom instruction or how-to books. Some things you should consider before you sign up for online training: 

• As good as Lynda.com is, there are many other Web-based training programs available. Do some research. Choose the training program that works for you and your budget.
• You’ll get out of online training what you put into it. If you just want an overview of the software or technique, sit back and watch. If you want hands-on training, pick a vendor that offers practice sessions and/or materials. You can practice on your own, too. Just remember to do it!
• Schedule your training when you can complete all the tutorials on your wish list. Time flies, life interferes—and your list will be long. A month goes by fast—and so will your subscription.

Now if Lynda.com would just do SEO: Search Engine Optimization Continued . . .

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved

Well, I told you that TechSoup was a great resource for nonprofit organizations. Here’s another reason why.

The latest TechSoup By the Cup newsletter mentions a real gem for jump-starting your Web site.

Yann Toledano, host of TechSoup’s Web Building Forum, recently posted a link to Stoney deGeyter’s The Best Damn Web Marketing Checklist, Period!

Talk about a road map to a better Web site . . . . Do you want to learn about basic Web site marketing elements? Tweak your current Web site? Communicate better with your Web site designer? This checklist is for you.

deGeyter nails the key elements of Web marketing/design in easy-to-read bytes. His 20-page checklist guides the Web novice and the Web warrior. You’ll get concise advice for 23 Web site components, including:

• Domain Name
• Design
• Architecture
• Content
• E-commerce

And deGeyter’s Web marketing checklist is free. Be sure to nab the PDF.

This rundown was first released a couple of years ago. A special thanks to Yann and TechSoup for spotlighting it this month for those of us who missed it. What a sweet find!

Has your nonprofit organization signed up for TechSoup? If not, you’re missing great tools like this checklist every day. Sign up now.

And be sure to return here often for more association management tips you can really use!

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved

For copywriting, I use The Associated Press Stylebook and The Gregg Reference Manual a lot more than The Chicago Manual of Style. Why? The first two references cover what I write more than CMOS does. But I also have to be honest: Way down deep, a rebellious, little troll has always whispered to me that CMOS is stilted and stuffy. It’s for fussy scholars with quill pens. Right?

Wrong. CMOS (published by The University of Chicago Press) is the formal guide for book authors, publishers and editors. It’s been around since 1906. And it’s filled with all those irritating writing rules that drive me crazy. If The AP Stylebook or Gregg can’t answer my question, I haul out CMOS. And at 900-plus pages, the 15^th edition is a hefty haul.

The 16^th edition of CMOS debuted earlier this year. While checking print prices, I discovered the free, 30-day trial of the online version. I was just a little curious about this upstart, electronic cousin. What’s not to like about “free”? So I signed up.

 And so far, no regrets:

• You can use the online version the same way you do the printed copy. Just scan the table of contents or index for the section you need and click the link. Painless and convenient. No paper needed.
• You can use the keyword search box to find that elusive grammar tidbit. That’s something the hard-copy edition just can’t match.
• You can bookmark sections, add notes, and craft your own style sheets. Then you can save everything online. Even my whiny, little troll loved that.

I was amazed by all this electronic functionality. And I stopped thinking “stuffy” when I read Chicago Style Q&A, written with sassy panache by Carol Fisher Haller. The online forum is also filled with pesky questions and challenging answers.

So if you write, edit, or proofread, sign up for the free, 30-day trial of The Chicago Manual of Style Online. Subscribe for a reasonable $35 per year when your trial ends.

That rebellious, little troll is whispering to me again. Now he loves CMOS. And now I almost love him.

Want more writing tips? Have a copywriting question? Just let me know. This freelance copywriter will be happy to help.

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved

So where do you find that information? The Urban Institute’s National Center for Charitable Statistics ranks at the top of my list. Why?

NCCS has one resource that I just love: You can download Form 990 tax returns for individual nonprofit organizations—free! Find out how your nonprofit stacks up against the “competition.” Get breakdowns on annual income and expenses. Ferret out information about directors and key staff. Want to take a test drive? Search for nonprofit tax returns now.

But that’s not all. This data powerhouse provides much more than just free tax returns. The NCCS Tools page is a nonprofit treasure chest:

• Need a great summary chart of nonprofit organization types? Head to the “NCCS Nonprofit Overview” section.
•  Have a nonprofit question you want answered? Check the Knowledgebase.
•  Need nonprofit statistics arranged 7 ways from sundown? Dig into the “Overview,” “Geographic Focus” and “Advanced Tools” sections.

And if you’re looking to get into the nonprofit information network, check out the NCCS External Resources page.

As a virtual association manager, I value tools that 1) give me information I need and 2) lead me to other information I need. The NCCS Web site does both—and does them well. Those free tax returns had me hooked right from the start.

Want more nonprofit tips, tools and tactics? Visit again soon. I’ll be sharing lots of little things that can make a big difference for your nonprofit organization.

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved

Write at the Grade 8 level—or below. Think like a newspaper reporter writing a front-page piece on a deadline. Keep your thoughts organized, simple and direct. Write in active voice. The following tips will help you reach that Grade 8 goal.

Keep your sentences to 10 words or fewer. This one will hurt. Aim for an average sentence length meeting that magic 10. Cut the compound sentences. Kill the semicolon. Ditch the wordy intro phrases. See how effective this technique can be?!

Don’t use a dollar word if a nickel word will do. Sure, you know more words than Webster’s. Save them for Scrabble. When you’re writing, use simple, straightforward language to make your point. Thinking “fabrication”? Write “lie.” Thinking “comprehend”? Write “understand.” Thinking this writing tip is “preposterous”? Write “crazy.” Like a fox.

Grab the reader’s eyes. Don’t write yards of text without breaks. Be a writer and an artist: Your writing should be verbal and visual. Use headings and short paragraphs. Highlight information with bullet points. Pepper your page with bold text. Tuck in a graphic.

Cut and carve your “final” version one last time. Just when you think you’re done . . . give your piece one last review. Cut any remaining fat and condense your writing—again. Carving your Thanksgiving turkey is easy. Carving your final draft is tough. This last chopping session can mean the difference between an average piece—and a great piece. Don’t skip it!

So what’s the easiest way to count words and calculate grade level? Microsoft Word has taken the pain out of that process. Be sure to enable Readability Statistics, and then check spelling and grammar for every piece you write. At the end you’ll get a readability summary of what was on point—and what wasn’t.

Fair warning: You’ll probably go screaming into the wilderness the first time you use the readability tool. Don’t give up. Just keep practicing until you get the rhythm of these 5 tips. Once you do, you’ll look forward to those readability results.

As a freelance copywriter, I make these tips work for me every day. You can make them work for you, too. So grab your computer keyboard and start writing.

Want more writing tips? Just let me know. This freelance copywriter will be happy to share.

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved

Picture this:

So why not go virtual? Hire a virtual association manager to set up an electronic storefront for your organization and manage operations from his or her office. This practical, Internet-based alternative is affordable and efficient. You don’t have to invest in office space, equipment and in-house staff. Your virtual manager can be around the corner—or across the country. No one has to know.

Virtual association management is part art, part science—and all performance. Today’s technology makes it all possible. Here are some tips and tools to consider if you decide to go virtual:

Web site. Your Web site is the cornerstone of your virtual storefront. Make it your electronic information desk, help desk, registration desk and online store. A well-designed site will carry the workload of a staffer (or maybe even 2). It should be easy to navigate and easy to read. And it should be packed with information your members and the public can use. Get the best Web designer you can. Make sure he or she has experience designing association sites. 

Mail. There will always be snail mail. So how do you handle it? If you want a street address in a particular city or state, consider a mailbox service like The UPS Store/Mail Boxes Etc. You’ll get a physical mailing address to show online and in your marketing materials. Your virtual association manager can have your mail and packages permanently forwarded to another location, too.

Another option: Get a post office box. This low-cost alternative works best if your virtual association manager is located in your service area. There are some tradeoffs if you use a P.O. box outside your service area. Ask me how you can make that work.

Telephone and Fax. If your phone use is limited and you don’t need real-time answering, get standard voicemail. Pick a landline carrier if you want a published directory listing. Consider a VoIP provider like Vonage if you don’t. For faxing, use an Internet service like Send2Fax or get it bundled with your VoIP service.

If your association is a heavy telecommunications user, consider a full-featured VoIP phone system like RingCentral. Set up extensions for your officers or committee chairs. Get auto-answering, fax service and call forwarding. Make calls from any phone using your association number. Your callers will never know you’re not “there.”

Collaboration. Your Board members or committee chairs may be scattered from here to the horizon. So how can you keep everyone on track and in touch? Use FreeConference.com or FreeConferenceCall.com for conference calls. For online meetings and seminars, use providers like WebEx or Citrix Online (GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar).

Need a one-stop project management workspace that everyone can access? Consider BaseCamp or Central Desktop. Just want a place online to store files for group sharing? Try Dropbox. It’s free!

These are just some of the tools that your association can use to operate without an office or employees. A virtual association manager will build a virtual storefront that gives your association a solid, professional image. He or she will help you choose the right virtual tools at the right price. Your board, committees and members will love the convenience. The public will, too.

Want to know more about virtual association management and how it can work for your organization? Just give me a virtual shout. I’ll be happy to share more virtual tips, tools and tactics that you can use.

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved

Yet so many people communicate with trite and overused phrases. Somewhere we went the wrong way: We gave up creative writing—and speaking—in favor of stale, tired clichés. Who decided trite was right? An observation in worn-out words: If it weren’t so sad, it would be funny.

But then again, maybe it is funny. So let’s see just how much fun we can have with human communication gone wrong. Consider these 5 wildly popular clichés:

“Think outside the box.” What I’m wondering: If everyone’s thinking outside the box, who’s doing the grunt work inside the box? I’m with Descartes: “I think, therefore I am.” Simple.  So I’m thinking, why do I even need a box? And by thinking I don’t need a box, am I thinking inside the box or outside the box?

“Input your [whatever].” You input it, then other people output it. And we’re all going to hell for turning 2 clunky,  made-up nouns into 2 even clunkier, made-up verbs. “In” is a word. “Put” is a word. “Input” is a disaster. Then we just have to follow up with “output.” That’s what happens when people start thinking outside the [computer] box.

“24×7.” I’m so tired of hearing that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I think we should multiply it out and just say, “We’re available 168.” That way people don’t have to think outside the box. They don’t have to do the math, either.

“Must be able to multitask.” I have nightmares about 8-armed, multidexterous humans thinking outside their boxes while they input into their iPads 24×7. I’ve been successfully unitasking for years. I always get everything done. But this multitasking frenzy has me wondering: Are we in the midst of a “paradigm shift”? See next phrase.

“Paradigm shift.” Just shoot me. This is what happens when everybody’s thinking (and multitasking) outside the box 24×7. They’ve inputted their input and outputted their output and the results are in: We’re in the middle of a paradigm shift. Never mind we just went through a paradigm shift. Bet the weatherman says we’ll have another paradigm shift tomorrow. Maybe I need shift insurance.

The lesson here: Lemmings don’t go over cliffs (really, they don’t). But box-hating, input-crazy, paradigm-shifting, workaholic multitaskers do.

Like I said, if it weren’t so funny, it would be sad.

So if you want a freelance copywriter who crafts words that work without a box in sight, let me know. I’m not available 168—more like 40 (8×5). I’m a functioning unitasker. And my paradigm isn’t shifting anytime soon.

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved

But I’m also an end-user junkie: Just tell me what’s new for product users and how it can help my business. And give me technology tips that really work. I want the latest software and equipment reviews, just-released software downloads, Windows and Microsoft Office how-to’s, and company updates.

So if you’re a small business like me that wants to ferret out the best tech news fast, you should bookmark two information-packed Web sites: ZDNet and TechRepublic.

From these sites you’ll get hot news, reviews, downloads, blogs, comments and more. ZDNet reports over 14 million unique users each month with 68 million page views. I’m not the only hungry tech junkie out there.

But it’s also a frenetic tech world. ZDNet and TechRepublic will immerse you in mountains of announcements. And it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all that information.

To solve that problem, I subscribe to specific electronic newsletters from these sites. I scan each e-mail for the news that matters to me. And I’m always surprised by how many teaser tidbits I end up checking out.

My favorite newsletters from ZDNet:

ZDNet Week in Review. Get a week’s worth of tech news in one neat package. Whoever pares all that information down to one nice little newsletter page should be nominated for sainthood.

Downloads Digest. Get free (or free-to-try) software that solves problems you didn’t even know you had. I usually find at least one thing to get excited about in every weekly release. “That software/add-on can do what?!”

My favorite newsletter from TechRepublic:

Microsoft Office Suite. This how-to for Office programs is always a fun read. The articles are good, with lots of screenshots and step-by-step directions. But the reader comments are often better. Who knew there were 5 ways to do the same thing—and 4 of those are a lot easier than the one described in the main article?

To sign up for these and other newsletters: Go to the “Services” section at the bottom right of the ZDNet home page. On the TechRepublic home page, click “My Newsletters” at the top right.

Technology changes fast. Your business should know what’s happening right now. So why not get the hottest technology tips online delivered right to your inbox?

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved

 So what is TechSoup? TechSoup sums it up this way:

‘TechSoup Global is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working towards the day when every nonprofit, library, and social benefit organization on the planet has the technology knowledge and resources they need to operate at their full potential.’

What TechSoup does. TechSoup gets hardware, software and service donations from high-tech companies like Microsoft, Adobe and Citrix. TechSoup makes those donations available to eligible 501(c)(3)s and libraries for what it calls “administrative fees.” These fees are substantially below market retail. (Think “almost free.”) Each donor may set eligibility requirements beyond the 501(c)(3) designation.

What TechSoup has. TechSoup has hardware, software, hosted applications and training resources, among other offerings.

For software, how about Windows 7 upgrades, Microsoft Office 2010, Adobe Acrobat Pro 9, and QuickBooks 2010? All these programs are available for that bargain-basement administrative fee.

Could your nonprofit organization use GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, BlackbaudNow or DonorPerfect? TechSoup has those, too.

For hardware, TechSoup has a limited selection of new and refurbished items. If you can use what they have and the price fits your budget . . . why not go for it?

How to get your nonprofit on board. First, sign up with TechSoup. Answer some standard questions about your 501(c)(3), and you’ll be good to go. You’ll also need to meet donor requirements for the products you want to buy. That can be a little trickier. Check TechSoup’s FAQs for details.

Get free tech advice. The TechSoup Web site is also packed with useful resources. Get free webinars, articles and blog posts on hot nonprofit topics. Join the mailing list for TechSoup’s must-read By the Cup newsletter. Ask questions and get answers in the community forums. You can still benefit from all the buzz—even if you don’t buy.

Nonprofit bottom line. TechSoup is just a mouse click away. Get up-to-date information on tech choices. Buy tech products at prices you just won’t find at retail.

“Almost free” is the next best thing to “free.” Especially for nonprofits on tight budgets.

Ramona Goutiere

Goutiere Professional Business Services

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Copyright ©2010 Goutiere Professional Business Services/Business Tips-Business Tools-Business Tactics • All rights reserved