Impress your business contacts with customized stationery. In addition to branded letterhead, nothing reinforces quality and professionalism like custom address labels and creative business cards. For added impact, coordinate the designs and production of all your stationery elements. A common and consistent theme is not only powerfully effective, but can be cost effective as well. Best of all, repeated exposure of a consistent theme across multiple platforms increases the chances of remaining memorable.

Beginning with your address label designs, reproduce your logo, brand or message onto other elements of your business materials. Using the same color scheme, design and even the same print vendor can reduce costs and eliminate unforeseen problems and surprises. Price estimates will often reflect a discount for multiple production elements like envelopes, stationary, address label designs and creative business cards.

Quality assurance is another important factor when you decide to impress your business contacts with customized stationary. Some items such as corporate apparel or large signs often require the use of individual flat colors. Other print pieces will utilize a four color process or a digital print method. For consistency and a professional appearance, it’s wise to use simple, common, basic colors in your creative designs. Colors that reproduce in the same tint or shade across all print platforms are best. Colors such as orange and green are notorious for being impossible to match from one print piece to the next.

Consult your printing professional for direction on color options and technical advice. And consider designing and printing all of your collateral together in combination. Not only does it cut costs, it increases consistency and diminishes the chances of any unwanted surprises.

So, how do you protect your data?

Over the years I have tried many different methods for backing up my computer files. Back in the 90s, I would burn files to CDs whenever I got a “hunch” that something might be getting ready to fail me. Then in the early days of this site, I got a Firelite external hard drive and while I could schedule how often I wanted to run backups, more often than not, the program just didn’t work as advertised.

Then last year, after one too many close calls with data loss, I decided there had to be an easier way!  After researching a variety of online backup options, I decided to sign up for the free Carbonite trial (which did not even require a credit card – another plus). Within days  it was apparent that I had found the solution that worked for me – I didn’t even wait for the 15 day free trial to end – I gladly paid $54.95 for the year.

Why Carbonite works for me.

• First, and foremost, they give you a free 15-day trial to let you really make sure their product is a good fit for your needs.
• It is real time -  within minutes of downloading a file or modifying a file Carbonite has identified the new file, put it in the queue, and has sent it up to to the backup server. Note – the very first time you set up your files for back up it is going to take hours, but once you get going, it is pretty close to immediate!
• It is automatic. I am juggling waaay too many things to remember to schedule a back up for my files. Carbonite takes the stress off me, because it backs up my files automatically.
• Carbonite is secure. They use the same encryption technology used by the online banking industry.
• I can access my files from anywhere. If I am working on my laptop in my favorite Starbucks and need a file from my desktop computer I can get it. Simply login to Carbonite, go to Remote Access and get whatever file you need for the day. No remembering to put something on a flashdrive, it’s there.
• The file recovery process is one-click easy. Nothing complicated here – a simple click of the restore button and you are back in business. With some plans you even have the power to decide which files are restored first, saving you even more time.

Put to the test, Carbonite came through.

Actually, Carbonite passed the test with FLYING colors. About a month ago a nasty computer virus managed to get past my virus protection and did some pretty crazy stuff to my system files. The only solution was to reformat my entire computer. I was a little stressed about possibly losing data, but since I could see every one of my files from my laptop through the Carbonite interface, I was confident all would be fine.

Once my hard drive had been reformatted I simply logged into my Carbonite account, installed the Carbonite software and ran the recovery program. Granted, it took about 12 hours to restore all my data, but EVERY last file made it! Talk about relief. That was 15 years of business and personal files that I could have potentially lost.

Carbonite is one of my essential tools for business – and at $54.95 a year, that is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes with knowing my files are there – where ever and whenever I need them.

You are getting ready to start a new business or expanding your current one to include an online presence, what is your first step? These days you might want to check what domain name is available for your potential business before you purchase your business cards. According to Domain Tools, there are 125,067,779 ACTIVE domain names, of which 91,264,685 are .com names.

Before you go to purchase your domain name, I recommend brainstorming a bit and start with 5-10 potential names. Once you have this list, you need to go to Bustaname.com and let their system help you come up with potential names based on the keywords you want to highlight. Once you think you have a domain name, you need to register it. You can purchase your domain through a company like Networksolutions.com or my personal choice GoDaddy.com. Network Solutions has long been the standard, trusted source for purchasing domains, but GoDaddy has proven itself as a leader in the industry and has the best prices for domains.

Dot com is still king and if you can get a .com name, you really should. You may need to be a bit creative with your domain name – using a phrase or dashes between words, but there are plenty of names left and Bustaname or GoDaddy will actually suggest alternatives if your first choice is taken. It might take a two or three word combination to get the domain you want and I recommend focusing on the keywords you are going after rather than the “cute” or “cool” factor in a name.

Deals on domains:

• Cyber Monday Offer! 50% off Hosting, Websites, Ecommerce & Local Search Visibility at Network Solutions, Use Code: affcyber50. Save Now!
• Special Domain Sale! $7.49.com at GoDaddy.com

So, what tools does a freelance writer use on a daily basis in today’s technology based economy? In Laura’s own words:

• WordPress. I realize that probably everyone says this, but it’s true. WordPress is one of my top tools for the various blogs that I write for.
• Microsoft Office. Most of my non-blog clients require that I use MS Word.  I’m also a heavy Excel user for keeping a wide variety of statistics.
• Twitter. Although I have other social media accounts, this has become my social media of choice primarily because of the ease of use. I also like the DM feature.
• Google Docs. I’ve found this to be a great way to collaborate with others and share information.
• Flickr. This is a great source of Creative Commons licensed images. Many of the photographers are quite gifted.
• Gimp 2. I’d actually like something a little more full-featured than this, but for now this works well.
• WOT. This little Firefox add-in tells me whether I’m on a reliable site or not. It’s in my toolbar, and I don’t even have to think about it. The color lets me know if a site is safe.
• Skype. I use Skype to connect with clients as well as to stay in touch with family that’s not local.

To keep up with Laura and her insights on writing and freelancing, be sure to follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to the Essential Keystrokes feed so you don’t miss a single Essential Tools feature. If you are interested in sharing your essential tools for business, drop me a line at cpolanosky [at] gmaildotcom.

In Amanda’s own words:

My interest in technology and the web goes back many years. I had an email address and no one to email! I am naturally an early adopter and while that has been an expensive exercise, it has been fun. I am completely self taught and enjoy the adventure of being absorbed in learning a new skill. (I consider Lynda.com an essential tool as it provides the best tutorials on everything from web design, digital photography, Excel and more.)

I do all my own graphics for my web sites and I am a passionate photographer so life would be very difficult without Photoshop and Illustrator.  Topaz filters are an essential tool for my graphics as they allow me to create a more arty feel.

As for my daily tools:

• One of the best additions to my toolbox this year has been Evernote . I particularly like that I can send a tweet that I don’t have time to explore when it whizzes by. I gather them all up on Evernote for reading later together with web pages and screen shots. Having them grouped together like this often gives me a great idea for a blog post and the links are already there for me to create connections.
• 1Password (Mac only) has been a blessing and helped me develop a better protocol for creating passwords. I am now happy to use a complex password because I know that I have the info on hand, secure and backed up. I just need to get it on my BlackBerry.
• For my AmandaBucklow.co.uk web site I use AdaptYourCMS.  This is not a perfect set up but it makes updating my web site very easy indeed. I can add documents, videos and, best of all, any number of secure zones and membership areas which I use extensively for my training. Each course is a community of its own and I find that providing the platform for people to engage with each other before and after the classroom sessions makes for better outcomes at assessment. The friendships created during training can become a real source of support and encouragement for fledgling mediators. I know I still value mine from 15 years ago. Providing students with a ready made home has been a great success.
• Twitter. I haven’t taken to Facebook at all except to keep in touch with my nephews and niece who don’t seem to be able to communicate any other way! I do remember it took me about a week to send my first Tweet – I couldn’t imagine that all those strangers could possibly be interested in what I might have to say! Phil Gerbyshak is entirely responsible for my besottedness with Twitter. He was one of the first to follow me back and start a real conversation. The discipline of saying something interesting in 140 characters is a very good one to have.
• One of the best gadgets I have ever used are my Flip video which is with me wherever I go. I can’t believe such a small thing can produce such high quality video and audio.
• Even more cherished is my Livescribe 2 GB Pulse Smartpen. I have no idea how I managed without that before I had one. Interviews are a doddle now. I like very much that I can pay attention to the person I am talking to rather than be looking at my notes. One keyword and you can find the part of the interview just by pointing the pen at the paper. Magic.
• The tool I would really like is Blackberry Messenger on the iPhone. I would love to switch to the iPhone as I am a complete Apple fan but the BlackBerry Messenger is so good especially when I am working abroad and need to keep in touch with my training partner. I takes the stress out of meeting up and changes in plans. I like the encryption on the BlackBerry but it is useless for browsing the web.

Thanks Amanda for sharing such a great assortment of tools – some of which are totally new to me and I can not wait to go try out!

Subscribe to the Essential Keystrokes feed so you don’t miss a single Essential Tools feature. If you are interested in sharing your essential tools for business, drop me a line at cpolanosky [at] gmaildotcom.

In the meantime, here are some articles I read this week that I think you will enjoy!

• The Social Media Marketing List – 45 Things You Are Probably Not Doing – This is an excellent list for refocusing your social media efforts now that you have time to actually be social again.
• Freelance Folder’s Are You A Good Sports Freelancer
• Jen Goode wrote an excellent piece on acceptable behavior (and what is NOT) at professional conferences – it has definitely touched a nerve with many people in the industry.
• Looking to rev up your SEO prowess – How about these Top 5 Books on SEO ?
• 7 R’s of Good Management and Leadership by Evgeni Prussakov is another must read.

Have a great week!

Shannon’s iPhone is truly the heartbeat of her workday -  it has completely changed the way she handles email and social media. She is no longer tied to a computer to send out emails or keep up active discussions on Twitter. Her  iPhone love has no bounds, so with that being said there are several apps that she finds priceless including:

• Gmail – Shannon switched two of her main email accounts to Google apps and that has made checking email via her iPhone so easy.  She is also a bit of  an email packrat so the ability to keep just about everything is very appealing.
• Twitterlator Pro makes managing social media while on the fly so easy. You  can snap a picture on your phone, upload and tweet it out. Plus Shannon can manage multiple accounts with ease.
• Simplenote – Shannon just started using Simplenote, but loves being able to start a blog post, write down a thought, and then when she has a moment to sit down at her computer later, she can log into Simplenote online and it is all right there. No need to sync or download anything.

The other essential tool for Shannon is a simple pad of paper. Like so many of us, there is still something about putting ink to paper. Shannon has been known to map out entire website ideas or write down full blog posts on a legal pad or composition notebook. It just really helps the creative process creative process.

I’d love to know what other iPhone apps you use (or apps for other Smartphones) to help keep your business moving forward when you are not in the office. Share them in the comments below, please.

Subscribe to the Essential Keystrokes feed so you don’t miss a single Essential Tools feature. If you are interested in sharing your essential tools for business, drop me a line at cpolanosky [at] gmaildotcom.

Design-wise:

• Mac Mail (I need to get round to hosting my mail with Google apps but at the moment it’s hosted with my host – Dreamhost). I do like Mac Mail. I use the Mac’s “To Do” here as well which sycns with iCal.
• Chrome – I switched from Firefox a few months back – just love the speed. Chrome Developer Tools are just as good as Firebug for Firefox. I also occasionally use Safari for checking and we have a cheep laptop to check Internet Explorer (yuck!)
• TextEdit – this is the Mac’s version of TextPad. I use it all the time for quick code changes. Writing down my billable time for each client (automated, eh!). You can open documents in seconds and switch between rich text and plain text with a keystroke. TextWrangler is a great text app – more powerful than TextEdit, you can to find/replace on multiple documents with this baby.

• Cyberduck: Free FTP tool for Mac. Slow but good.
• Dreamweaver: Great for writing HTML, CSS, PHP and JS. It color codes it all so you know where you are and I use it’s FTP function. Great for when I don’t use WordPress.
• WordPress: my number 1 CMS of choice.
• MAMP: for running WordPress (PHP and MySQL) locally

• My Google Analytics
• Web mail (I use a Yahoo! address for non-work related stuff)
• Twitter (To be honest I was late to Tweet and now I kind of put up with it. I’ve definitely learned tons of stuff from it but I’m not a massive Twitter enthusiast)
• LinkedIn (My favorite social networking site. Fantastic information from LinkedIn Groups and great traffic from them. Traffic from there sticks around whereas Twitter/Stumble/Digg traffic comes and goes – my experience only)
• My site and the WP backend
• 5-10 tabs of blog posts I don’t have time to read but will do one day
• Amazon

• IShowU: Mac screen recorder.
• GarageBand: For creating musical snippets for the intro and outro.
• iMovie: for putting it all together. May move onto Adobe Premier when I have time.

In Logan’s own words:

• DropBox – I don’t know what I’d do without Dropbox. I can store and backup all my files so I can work from multiple computers and even off my iPhone. Plus it is great for sharing large files with other people.
• Meebo – I spend quite a bit of time chatting with clients and colleagues online and Meebo keeps all my instant messaging clients in one web interface. It definitely helps me keep things in order.
• Web Developer Firefox Add-On – Has so many tools I use when building sites, especially when working with CSS. Cuts my development time in half at least.
• WiredTree – My hosting provider is essential to my business. I’ve used a LOT of web hosts, and they are by far the best. Fast support and they manage my server for me so I can focus on my business.
• Outright – Keeps all of my bookkeeping in one easy to user online interface. It has saved me so much time since I switched from Quickbooks. Plus it’s free so you can’t beat that.
• TweetDeck – Still my favorite Twitter app. Runs on my iPhone and desktop so I can stay in the Twitter loop.

Thanks for being part of this series, Logan, and for sharing a tool that is new to me – Outright – it looks like something I need to be using, especially since it works with FreshBooks.

Subscribe to the Essential Keystrokes feed so you don’t miss a single Essential Tools feature. If you are interested in sharing your essential tools for business, drop me a line at cpolanosky [at] gmaildotcom.

Over the years my business has evolved as I took on more print design work, taught myself HTML (the Internet was young at the time), and did more and more web design work for companies of all sizes. In May 2006 one of my clients wanted me to help her set up a blog. Not having the slightest clue what she was talking about I started doing research – thus Essential Keystrokes was born (yes, it was on Blogger to start with). I began doing more web design in the form of WordPress customizations, started a few more blogs of my own, blogged for b5media, and was introduced to the world of affiliate marketing.

Today my business is more and more about my own websites and monetizing them through various channels, doing some WordPress customizations, and social media consulting. It has been a whirlwind 14 years and the only reason I have been able to grow my business over all these years is the willingness to change, try new things and learn something new everyday.

Obviously the tools I consider key to my business today are very different from the tools I used fourteen years ago. Just for fun, I am going to do a THEN and NOW version of Essential Tools today. I hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane with me!

Data Backup

• Then: Stacks and stacks of floppy disks that were then replaced by Zip drives then by writable CDs then by an external hard drive.
• Now: My primary back up source is Carbonite, which backs up my files to a location far far away on a continuous basis – nothing to remember. I have total piece of mind that my data is safe in the event of a computer crash, office fire or similar disaster. I do have a Firelite drive I use occasionally, too.

Client Management and Accounting

• Then: I used a trusty Microsoft Excel spreadsheet for everything for many years – from logging hours billed, to income collected, expenses, rates, client contact info, the works. It was a system that worked for me and I still use a scaled down version of it, however…
• Now: I do all my invoicing through FreshBooks. Since FreshBooks is web-based, I can do my invoicing from anywhere, it takes less than a minute to do an invoice, my clients’ contact info, payment history and rates are stored and I can. I also use Highrise to keep track of all my client notes and correspondence.

Web Basics

• Then: When I first started out I had a CompuServe email account and used Netscape as my web browser and thought it was the stuff! I bought my first domain name through Network Solutions and hosted my first web site at Jumpline.com.
• Now: So, I have lost count of the number of domain names I own (well, not really, let’s just say I have been known to wake up at 3 a.m. and buy a domain or two – just because it seemed like a good idea ) and have found many of them by using Bustaname.com to find good ones. I usually purchase domain names through GoDaddy and do all my hosting now through HostGator. My browser of choice is now Firefox and I use some form of Google for just about everything else.

Design Work

• Then: In the early Keystrokes days, a lot of my work was done using MS Word, MS Publisher and PageMaker. Then I added Web Design to the mix and added HoTMetaL (an HTML editor) and Dreamweaver. Graphics came from photo or art collection CDs I purchased.
• Now: I do all my web design work using WordPress as the base. My favorite themes come from Studio Press, iThemes and Headway. My graphics work is done using Photoshop, Illustrator or Fireworks (depending on my mood) and I get most of my art from iStockPhoto.

Mobile Office

• Then: What mobile office?? I don’t think I even had a cell phone until my business was a few years old.
• Now: I have recently upgraded to the Palm Pre Plus and it is truly a mobile office of its own! I can get my email, check the web, use Facebook, Twitter (tweefree rocks), take photos for my blog posts anywhere, view PDF files, capture notes and things I find on the web using Evernote mobile, and more.

Networking

• Then: When I first started my business I joined the Chamber of Commerce in our town. We had just moved here and I figured that was the best way to start growing my business. The woman who started the membership process for me was so fascinated with my business – as in working from home with a little one doing computer stuff – that she continued to check in on me regularly. Want to hear something cool? That same woman is one of my dearest friends in real life and NOW she works from home, kids and all, doing public relations and using the computer to make it happen.
• Now: Networking happens every time I post something on one of my blogs, log in to Twitter, talk with my Mastermind group, and via email. The networking landscape is so different now. However, there is still no replacement for face-to-face relationship building which is why getting out, going to local events, and going to conferences related to your niche are so vital. Last year I went to SOBCon and made some of the most valuable business connections ever! Later in the year I went to ShareASale’s Think Tank – as a result of the contact I made at SOBCon and then made even more essential business contacts! My goal for this year is to make it to at least two business related conferences – hopefully ThinkTank again, and either BlogWorld or Affiliate Summit.

So, how have your business’s essential tools changed over time?

Subscribe to the Essential Keystrokes feed so you don’t miss a single Essential Tools feature. If you are interested in sharing your essential tools for business, drop me a line at cpolanosky [at] gmaildotcom.