The Blog

Hello World

2026-05-28T23:04:36.124-04:00

Well, the timing is about right. Been only 7 years since my last post, and it's time to blow off the dust. For all intents and purposes, I'm off social media, so I need somewhere to scream into the void. And what a void it has become! Idocracy now looks like the playbook for Trump 2.0.

I almost ...

didn't ...

type ...

"Trump".

I started to, then I deleted it. Then it hit me. I realized he almost got me. THEY almost got me. I will not go silently into that good night... or whatever that poem I am misquoting says. I will not avoid mention of he-who-shall-not-be-named.

The fact I'm having that thought, the fact that I'm feeling scared, is all the more reason to do it. Not to hide. Not to keep silent, because I might be on some super-secret list. That is crazy. Crazy talk.

Here we are, America, 250 years into this great experiment. Are we really already in the decline of Rome? Can we save ourselves? Can the people come together? 5 months to the midterms. So much damage can be done in that time. Where is Congress? Where are the good people of this country who want to help each other? When will we stop letting the oligarchs win?

MileIQ - Mileage Tracking for Business Use of Your Car

2019-02-06T22:35:00.004-05:00

Do you own a small business? Do you travel a lot in your car for your business? Or maybe only a little? If you use a vehicle for your business, own a fleet, or reimburse your employees for their mileage, you know what a headache mileage tracking can be. It's always far down the priority list.

When I had a business with multiple vehicles, I created a Google Form for employees to enter hours. It worked, but it was up to me to constantly remind employees to use the form, and fill in gaps if the information was missing. Now that I work with contractors, the only mileage I'm tracking is my own, and it's still one of the last things I want to think about!

Years ago, my accountant recommended MileIQ. It's easy to set up and use and doesn't take more than a few minutes to properly record your mileage. Open the app, swipe right or left to assign business or personal, and you can move along with your day. MileIQ is as simple or as robust as you want it to be. You can add notes and save routine drives so they automatically categorize themselves.

If you aren't tracking mileage yet, start now! You could be missing quite a reduction in your taxable income. This year's 2019 IRS Mileage rates have been announced, at 58 cents per mile. If you are still working through your 2018 taxes and have not been tracking mileage, you can reconstruct your mileage log. Look at your calendar and use good old Google Maps to calculate the miles driven. Create a spreadsheet (my favorite is Google Sheets) with a column for date, business reason, location, and total miles driven. The 2018 IRS Mileage rate is 54.5 cents and it adds up quickly.

To start using MileIQ, you can download it to your device here:

iPhone Link: http://app.appsflyer.com/id578830929?pid=website&c=footer_ios

Playstore Link: http://app.appsflyer.com/com.mobiledatalabs.mileiq?pid=website&c=footer_android

Snapseed - Hands Down the Best Photo Editing App for Mobile

2017-06-30T08:29:00.001-04:00

What were my photos like before Snapseed? Whether they came from my fancy digital camera or my iPhone 7, the most editing I did was using a filter on Instagram or Facebook. I thought that was good enough.

Then a friend introduced me to Google's mobile app, Snapseed. Instantly, my photo quality was much better. The app is very easy to use and provides an in-app tutorial to introduce you to the basics. There are versions for both iPhone and Android. The best part about the app besides its awesome photo editing capabilities? The fact that it's free

Less than two weeks into playing around with it, I feel very comfortable editing a photo in less than 5 minutes. What a difference it makes! Here are some before and after examples.

For more tips and tricks on using Snapseed to up your photo game, check out these links:

To Download the App on Your Phone:

How to Set-up A Website Address Tutorial - aka Buying a Domain Name

2017-06-21T08:18:00.000-04:00

Are you ready to take your business online? I don't mean online to your Facebook page! For thoughts on Facebook pages, see this post, Facebook is Not Your Company's Website. If you are ready to set up your company email and your own www.yourcompanyname.com web address, here's a quick tutorial to get started.

1. Brainstorm a Domain Name - The first thing to do is come up with a domain name, or URL, that you want. There are many options to choose from. It's possible www.yourcompanyname.com is taken or that your company's name is very long. Try to come up with something that will be easy for people to remember and that ties into your company name or what it does. There are also different top-level domains, such as ".com", ".net", ".info", and so on. I live in Maine and it's common to see websites ending with ".me", which is our state abbreviation.

2. Search Available Domain Names - Once you have a couple of name ideas, head over to Google Domains or Dreamhost to check if your choice is available. One of the most popular sites for domain names is GoDaddy, but I'm not a fan and would highly recommend Google or Dreamhost first. Even as a seasoned web developer, I find GoDaddy's interface confusing and maddening to navigate.

3. Buy your Domain Name - When you find a domain you like, step through the purchasing process. If your business has been in existence a long time and you plan on being in it for the long haul, I would recommend a 5 or 10 year period. Buying a domain name for a year may seem cost effective, but it can be easy to overlook renewal and find yourself without your domain a year down the road. Having to buy a new domain can be a big headache as you have to update all marketing materials, customers, and contacts.

4. Set up your email and website! Sounds easy, right? It is and in the next few posts, we will go over how to set up email and a website using Google Domains.

think with Google - Painless Data and Trend Insights You Need For Your Business

2017-06-01T15:34:00.002-04:00

think with Google is a new resource brought to you by everyone's favorite internet juggernaut. And it is awesome! If you run a business or work in sales and marketing, it's a great way to learn the latest online and consumer trends, without being overwhelmed.

Google presents the information in easy-to-digest snippets, presented in a visually appealing way. Most of their insights are quick reads that allow you to take the information and quickly put it to use in your business. Google touts this new resource as, "Insights you want. Data you need." You can also sign up for their email notifications.

Sections of think with Google include:

Recent insights I found helpful:

Google's overview of all their new marketing insights and offerings can be found in their launch video below

Podcast Episode 3 - Mother's Day!

2017-05-18T11:31:00.005-04:00

Episode 3 - Mother's Day! Power of Transparency Podcast

Power of Transparency Podcast with Lisa Liberatore and Kat Petersen

Me and My Mom

Conversations about motherhood, careers, owning a business, and personal relationships.

What happens when a single guy with no kids interviews two entrepreneur moms on the Friday night before Mother's Day, while enjoying some wine? Well, the podcast release gets delayed a few days! Join us as we discuss different parenting styles and how our entrepreneurial philosophies influence the way we approach our raising our children.

Episode 3 - Mother's Day

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

RETHINKING “STRANGER DANGER”

Most importantly, “stranger danger” ignores the fact that most children are abducted by someone they know.

Forget 'stranger danger': 'Tricky people' concept helps kids spot sketchy adults

“Most of the time, kids are learning ‘stranger danger,’ which is cute and it rhymes, but isn’t really effective,” Fitzgerald told TODAY Parents. “'Tricky people’ is certainly more effective because most strangers are not dangerous…kids think a stranger is going to be somebody who is kind of scary looking or scary sounding, but statistically, if someone wants to harm a child they are not going to appear scary, they’re going to be charming, have an enticing offer, and seem friendly.”

THE PROBLEM WITH “STRANGER DANGER”

Statistically speaking most abuse, and all sorts of other bad things that happen to children comes from some one either in the family or very close to the family.

TIPS FOR HELPING YOUR CHILD THRIVE AT FAMILY GATHERINGS

By allowing your children to set their own boundaries you are teaching them that they are the boss of their own bodies. That’s a lesson that you’ll want them to have learned before they hit their teenage years.

National Child Kidnapping Facts

99.8% of the children who go missing do come home.

Nearly 90% of missing children have simply misunderstood directions or miscommunicated their plans, are lost, or have run away.

9% are kidnapped by a family member in a custody dispute.

3% are abducted by non-family members, usually during the commission of a crime such as robbery or sexual assault. The kidnapper is often someone the child knows.

Only about 100 children (a fraction of 1%) are kidnapped each year in the stereotypical stranger abductions you hear about in the news.

About half of these 100 children come home.

What to Teach Kids About Strangers

If children need help--whether they’re lost, being threatened by a bully, or being followed by a stranger--the safest thing for them to do in many cases is to ask a stranger for help. You can make this easier for them by showing them which strangers are okay to trust.

How to Start Your Own Podcast - In 5 Easy Steps

2017-05-11T17:44:00.001-04:00

Can you start your own podcast? Yes! You can!

I'm pretty new to podcasting. Surprisingly, it's not that hard. To read more about my journey to the podcasting universe, check out Who, Me? Start a Podcast?

To find out how to start your own podcast, follow these 5 easy steps:

1. Figure out something you like to talk about. A lot. If you can find a partner in crime or people to interview about your topic, even better. The back and forth banter really keeps the conversation going! You do not need to write a speech or a script. A general outline of what you want to talk about is usually enough.

2. Get a microphone - there are many choices. You can record on using your built-in microphone for free, spend $20, $100, or thousands. A popular choice is the Yeti Microphone, it's a good mid-range that doesn't cost much and sounds great!

3. Download Audacity. This is free software that will help you record and edit your podcasts.

4. Download LAME . This software allows you to export MP3's so your podcasts can be enjoyed by the world!

5. Publish online. Upload to Google Drive, your website, your blog, or iTunes.

Get out there, it's fun!

Podcast Episode 2 - Sorry Not Sorry!

2017-05-09T11:11:00.001-04:00

Episode 2 - Sorry Not Sorry! Power of Transparency Podcast

Power of Transparency Podcast with Lisa Liberatore and Kat Petersen

Conversations about motherhood, careers, owning a business, and personal relationships.

Today's episode is about finding your balance and owning how you approach your life. Listen as we discuss saying sorry too much, letting go of guilt and 'do-it-all' syndrome, and embracing what works for you! For additional reading on the topics in our podcast, see the links below.

Podcast Episode 2 - Sorry Not Sorry!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

APOLOGIZING

Sorry, Not Sorry - Why Women need to stop apologizing for everything

... Apologizing unnecessarily puts women in a subservient position and makes people lose respect for them, says executive coach and radio host Bonnie Marcus. Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founder of the Manhattan-based think tank, Center for Talent Innovation and author of Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Talent and Success, says using “sorry” frequently undermines our gravitas and makes them appear unfit for leadership. ...

... Marcus suggests keeping a log of when you “sorry,” what the situation was, and how you felt. Sometimes, “sorry” is just a verbal tic, but some usage patterns may indicate a situation or person who makes you feel insecure, she says. Being aware of those triggers and how they influence your language can help you be more vigilant in “changing your communication so you’re coming from a position of strength and equality,” she says. ...

PRIORITY & TIME MANAGEMENT

VOLUNTEERING LINKS

We love hearing from our readers and listeners, so please feel free to get in touch!

Katrina@crookedsteeplehall.com and Lisa@poweroftransparency.com

To learn more about Lisa, check out her site, www.PowerOfTransparency.com and stayed tuned for her book, "Power of Transparency", coming out Summer of 2017!

To learn more about me, poke around this website or visit www.crookedsteeplehall.com to learn more about my passion project, Crooked Steeple Hall!

MainelyOnline Gets a Logo!

2017-04-30T23:35:00.002-04:00

I suppose, after 12 years, one could consider a logo might make some sense. Up until now, I haven't had a vision that spoke to me. This logo feels just right!

Did I spend thousands on a graphic designer? Not for this little old blog! I used an app on my phone, one of my favorite for creating graphics that I share online. Vintage Design is an app by Appfever Apps and I love it!

To easily create unique graphics for online or even print, I hands down recommend Vintage Design and it's complimentary applications, Hand Drawn, Chalk Signs, and Monogram. At a bundled price point of $4.99 (as of the time of this post) they are quite the steal. These apps make it easy to promote your business online with original graphics, while on the go.

Podcast Episode 1 - Meet Lisa & Kat!

2017-04-29T12:42:00.000-04:00

Episode 1 - Meet Lisa & Kat! Power of Transparency Podcast

Power of Transparency Podcast with Lisa Liberatore

Conversations about motherhood, careers, owning a business, and personal relationships.

My good friend Lisa roped me into her world philosophy of "just get it done"! Using our complimentary skills in technology (Kat) and time management (Lisa), it took us less than two weeks to go from idea to our first Podcast. We're now editing the second and third!

Episode 1 - Meet Us! - Lisa and Kat

In this episode, we give you an introduction to us. Who we are, where we came from, and a bit about our lives and careers. You can get a feel for how we will discuss topics and what is important to us. We love hearing from our readers and listeners, so please feel free to get in touch!

Katrina@crookedsteeplehall.com
Lisa@poweroftransparency.com

To learn more about Lisa, check out her site, www.PowerOfTransparency.com and stayed tuned for her book, "Power of Transparency", coming out Summer of 2017!

To learn more about me, poke around this website or visit www.crookedsteeplehall.com to learn more about my passion project, Crooked Steeple Hall!

Freshbooks in 2017 - My #1 Pick for Small Business Accounting

2017-04-28T13:56:00.003-04:00

In November of 2006, early in the days of my blogging adventures, I wrote a post about FreshBooks. I had just discovered the site and was so excited. Our family's company invoiced around 300 customers monthly. The process of reconciling accounts aging, printing, stuffing, and mailing invoices was extremely time-consuming.

At that time SaaS was in its infancy, particularly at the individual or small business level. Quickbooks had the vast majority of the small business accounting market. The idea of storing your small business data in the cloud scared most people. If you were a small business and handling your own accounting or even a CPA doing the accounting for others, Quickbooks or Peachtree were the only choices. They came in boxes with a disk or CD, which you manually installed on the computer. There was no app store to download directly onto your computer.

Along came Freshbooks, with a novel idea. They would allow you to do your accounting online, track your time, your expenses, and bill your customers. Imagine the possibilities! Being able to access your business financials from anywhere you had an internet browser! Not only that, FreshBooks would also mail your invoices directly to customers along with a return envelope, all for a little over the cost of a stamp. It was an amazing concept and I was on board immediately.

I couldn't convince my father and we ended up not using FreshBooks for that business. However, when I opened my own business less than two years later, I knew FreshBooks was the way to go. The time savings and ability to access data from anywhere was invaluable. Instead of accounting data being stuck on a computer in the office, it was everywhere we went. I'm now on my third business using FreshBooks since 2006 and I'm still a super fan.

As Freshbooks has developed and refined both their site and their mobile applications, the advantages of using their platform have grown. Now we can easily invoice, record payments and expenses, track time, and even accept credit cards. The ability to have an invoice sent via snail mail remains in place, which is an excellent option for customers who prefer paper invoices mailed to them.

I also use Freshbooks to easily track my business expenses and get rid of those pesky paper receipts. I make it a habit of taking a quick picture and entering my expenses as I incur them. This saves me the time and trouble of having to spend hours at a time going back through my month with a stack of receipts. Using the Freshbooks iPhone app, I frequently invoice people on the go, to make sure bringing in revenue occurs as quickly as possible.

After over a decade of using FreshBooks, I am always impressed by their customer service. Any interactions I have are with extremely knowledgeable and friendly employees who's goal is to help me. I've never once had a bad experience. For ease of use, simple pricing, and their relationships with customer, I give them a 10/10!

If you'd like to give them a try, hop on over to their site and take a tour!

Facebook is Not Your Company's Website

2017-04-24T14:18:00.000-04:00

Congratulations! You're in business! You have customers, loyal ones that come back and recommend others to you. People are asking how to find you online. That's easy you say, I have a Facebook page! But wait... a Facebook page is not a website.

A Facebook page is better than nothing. It's a great first step. If you've made it that far, I applaud your efforts. If you haven't, see my post, Facebook Pages for Business 101, to get started. A Facebook page is just a starting point to get your business online.

Why should you bother having a website, when Facebook is free and it's so easy to set up? For one, Facebook controls your content and how your posts are displayed. For more reading on the legality of who owns the content you post to Facebook, this article, Who Legally Owns Your Facebook Posts, is a great primer.

In order to get your posts in front of people, you'll need to cultivate an audience of people who like your page. Unless you are a social media guru or an extremely popular business with a large existing customer base, this takes time. Your alternative is to pay Facebook for exposure. Lastly, keep in mind, not everyone uses Facebook! (Yes, I know, nearly 99.99% of people you know do.)

Having a website is critical to presenting a professional image to your customers. My previous post on why you need a professional email address talks more about this idea. It's easy to set up a basic site. There are many options, but don't feel overwhelmed. In my next several posts, I'm going to outline options that are easy to use and outline the basic pages you should have. All you need is a domain name, or URL, and a website builder. It's not hard and it won't hurt! I promise!

Facebook Pages for Business 101

2017-04-04T16:30:00.000-04:00

What follows is a public service announcement for small businesses without a Facebook page. It should only be taken semi-seriously. No Facebooks were harmed in the making of this post.

How to properly set up a Facebook Page for your business or organization.

Create a personal Facebook account. We know, we know. You HATE 'the Facebook'. You don't have an account or you hardly ever use it, and of course you never check up on those far-flung friends or relatives you're embarrassed to admit you have, to see what latest thing-they-posted-on-Facebook-but-shouldn't-have. Set one up anyway.

Look at the upper right of your screen. Put your cursor/mouse/trackpad/finger over the dark blue arrow to the right of the "?". It should look like this:

Creating a Facebook Page

Select "Create Page". It won't bite you. If you make a mistake, you can always delete and start over. This is the Internet, nothing lasts forever here.

We cannot speak for you, we know, you're special. For the rest of you 'non-special' small business owners, choose the "Small Business/Local Place" option.

Choosing a Facebook Page Type

Oh, no! Not that one!

Choose a Category and fill in your details.

The rest is up to you. Follow the directions as laid out on the screen. By reading. See sample new page below.

A New Facebook Page, Ready For Your Business Details

Questions? My god! If you can't read, how have you made it this far?! This is just a basic guide to set you on the right path, not bring you 100,000 page likes and shares in one day.

Happy Facebook Paging! You will get the hang of it soon enough. In the meantime, I may get it together enough to post some slightly more than basic page tips. Good luck and feel free to comment or message me with specific questions. I promise to be nicer in my responses, than I've been in my post. Here's a picture for proof, see, I'm smiling!

Who ME? Allow remote working?

2017-03-14T21:53:00.001-04:00

#remoteworking at CoVort in
Bangor, Maine

Yes, Maine, I'm talking to you. It's continually disappointing to listen to the loop of the workforce conversation in Maine. Our population is aging, our young people are leaving. We're the oldest and least diverse state in the country. How do we get those youngsters to stay, to come, or to build businesses here?

We know, statically, empirically, that diversity actually equals better financial performance for companies. Don't believe me? Here are a few resources that may just change your mind:

While I'm on the higher end of the "young" age range, in Maine, I'm still younger than our state average. I followed a typical Maine path. Early in my career, after attending the University of Maine, I left seeking greener pastures. I only returned when family reasons and an already established career allowed me to work 100% remotely.

My early career experiences took me around the country and the world. I was committed to working for small, family-owned companies. I enjoyed these experiences. I was hoping for the same thing when I came back to Maine. Then, I discovered an uncomfortable truth, Maine's companies and corporate policies trend about 20 years behind what's going on in the rest of the country.

Me, working remotely,
in my living room!

I'm constantly baffled by the "Maine's Best Places to Work" list. The companies on the top seem to offer "perks" that are just basic expectations elsewhere. One of the biggest gaps Maine loses its young workers to? Flexible and remote working arrangements. I've been working 100% remotely since 2008, nearly a decade and more than half of my post-college career. Since returning to Maine, it's been a goal of mine to work for a Maine company.

While many companies worldwide offer remote or flexible work arrangments, Maine's companies still bristle when you bring up working remotely. I know this from first-hand experience. "Remote working" is widely touted in many a Maine company's hiring materials, yet when you drill down with the hiring manager or HR, it becomes something "you-might-do-after-working-here-a-year-or-two-and-only-if-your-child-is-sick-or-it's-a-state-of-emergency". That, my Maine friends, is not remote working. It's a tagline in your marketing materials.

Please don't mistake what follows. There are many wonderful, talented, smart, and ambitious people working in all of Maine's companies. However, many Maine companies complain about a lack of technical talent. Of having difficulty filling certain positions and concern about the coming shortfall of employees. Guess what? People with computer, technical and sought-after specific skill sets are here. We just don't want to work for you!

We work for national or global companies that value WHAT an employee does not WHERE they are. We work at home, at the coffee shop, or in a CoWorking space, such as CoVort. Sometimes we work 9-5, sometimes we work 6 am to noon, break for volunteering and continue working 7 pm to midnight. Maine being the geographically disperse state it is, we may not want to commute an hour or 45 minutes to work one way, wasting precious hours we could be productive or enjoying our leisure time. We and our millennial brethren would love to work for you if you'd only let us work the way we want.

Queue, Work in Place. a group of wonderful folks based in Portland, Maine, who are doing their part to encourage remote working This new nonprofit out of Portland has a mission close to my heart and one that's sorely needed in Maine:

Our mission is to change the culture of work
through programs and policies that benefit
remote workers, organizations, and communities.

Maine, you need younger workers. You need diversity to compete globally. You need to move your workplace policies into this century!

Join Work In Place at their launch party, June 20th, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM, Ocean Gateway in Portland.

No Thank you, Forbes. I don't need a blouse.*

2017-02-26T17:33:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, I attended World Information Architecture Day Boston hosted at Hubspot. The speakers were well-seasoned professionals in the Information Architecture, User Experience, and Design fields, with a lot of great knowledge to share. Of all the talks, statistics, graphs, images, and ideas shared that day, one stuck in my head.

During Joan Vermette's talk, she brought up a startling graph. Women's earnings peak, on average, at the age of 39. I'm 37, and of the belief, there's still much room to grow in my career. I'm looking to double my salary by the time I'm in my mid-40's. Yet here was Joan telling me, I might just be fooling myself! Could this be it?

Shortly after that, Sallie Krawcheck posted Ellevest's financial playbook for women, "Mind the Gap - and Close It". Ellevest's guide provides plenty of data, showing how much the wage gap truly impacts us over a lifetime. This got me focused on figuring out if this "peak-earnings-age-of-39-for-women" was a reality, the law of averages, or fancy footwork with data.

This morning, I did what any good curious person would do. I started my own investigation via Google, looking for anything that refuted these numbers. Did this apply to all women? Those both employed and working in the home? Or did it only apply to those with salaries?

After the Wikipedia-provided information from Google, the first organic listing was this Forbes article: Why Women's Pay Growth Slows by Age 30 and Peaks by 39. Why Forbes? Tell me!

When I clicked on the link, the screen image at the top of this page appeared. You know the one, the splash screen with the thoughtful quote before you get to the real article on Forbes? Take a close look at the image and I hope you see it too. Forbes, is the best you can do? I'm searching for information about salary and you choose to show me the following list of "Interesting Topics":

Women's Clothing
Blouses for Women
Designer Tops for Women
Women Clothing Catalogs
Woman Apparels - What even is this category? "Apparels"?! Grammar Nazi's, what say you?

Forbes, you should be ashamed! To the rest of you out there, who want to actually improve your financial education and future, what are your thoughts on this?

* Article originally published on LinkedIn and titled "Forbes, I'm calling you out!".

Hey Small Business Owner - Is your email still YourBusiness@Gmail.com?

2017-02-16T12:09:00.002-05:00

Hey, you! Small business owner! Yes, you one-person-wearing-all-the-hats, owner of your own dream. What's your email address? Is it juliesbookstore@gmail.com? Please say it isn't so!

If you run a business and your email contains '@gmail.com', '@hotmail.com', '@yahoo.com' or some other generic email provider, it's time to make a change. This isn't 1992 and consumers, as well as, business contacts, expect a more professional email. It's easy and well worth it to show the world you're serious about your professional image.

When I see a business using '@yahoo.com' or any other free email service, I immediately think they aren't in it for the long haul. That they aren't committed to growing their business or communicating in a truly professional manner. Using your own domain shows your potential customers and partners that you mean business.

The first step is picking out and buying a domain. For instance, my domain name, is 'mainelyonline.com'. Try to pick a name that's easy for people to remember and as close to your business name as possible. There are many different domain extensions as well, such as '.com', '.org', '.net', and more. If the name you want isn't available with ".com' at the end, be sure to search the other extensions.

There are many sites out there that you can buy domains from. I'm partial to Google, because their integrated G Suite is very easy-to-use. Many of you already use Gmail or other Google services such as Google Calendar. If that sounds like a good option to you, check it out at their GoogleDomains site.

If Google's not for you, plenty of providers abound. I personally like Dreamhost as a second choice, as they integrate with both Google and WordPress quite easily. GoDaddy is another option, however, their interface is bulky and difficult to use if you're not highly technical.

Good luck and happy emailing!

5 Years Later...!

2017-02-06T10:40:00.001-05:00

"Whoooooooooooooo....." Hear that? It's the sound of the dust being blown off this blog. Fairly early in my career, I made my way into the world of online marketing, social media, and sponsored content. Back when "sponsored content" was akin to a four-letter-word. I enjoyed it, but life intervened and I found myself, for many years, working at a financial company who abhorred social media. So conservative was this company, that I completely stopped blogging.

For years I've missed it and thoughts of reviving posts danced in my head. For whatever reason, I couldn't even bring myself to visit the blog URL, let alone imagine writing a new post. Yet, here I am today, 5 years later. 5 years! That much time has passed in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

I was shocked this morning when I looked at the date of my last post, another failed attempt to restart an activity that was not only enjoyable but even made me a small income! My favorite Japanese proverb definitely applies here, "Fall 7 Times, Get up 8". I figure I'm on attempt 6.

So much has changed in the world of online marketing. We've seen the advent of Inbound Marketing, something I welcome with open arms. A significant improvement over the "catch them with trickery" marketing of yesteryear. Provide prospects with useful information and letting them come to you? What a novel, yet incredibly refreshing idea.

Where do we go from here? That, my friends, I cannot say. I am reinvigorated and excited about what the future of marketing and the online world holds. I hope to share that with you.

Oh, and the Pats Rule!

WordPress vs. Blogger

2012-05-29T22:38:00.001-04:00

At a recent business expo, I overheard someone recommend switching to WordPress from Blogger. As a long time Blogger user, this piqued my interest. After a two-year hiatus, I'm looking to revive my blog, so I want to use the blogging solution that's the best fit. That's why I decided to do my homework and investigate.

Which is better, WordPress or Blogger? The short answer is, neither, or both, depending on what you are trying to do with your blog and your level of expertise. After reading quite a few articles, I will summarize, with a caveat that I don't quite agree, what the theme seems to be: WordPress for serious business and Blogger for beginners or casual Bloggers.

That said, obviously you are reading this on a Blogger blog. I started with Blogger in 2006 and I am a huge fan. I think there is value to using Blogger and I like the service. The ability to customize is excellent, although knowing your HTML is helpful when customizing Blogger.

If you want to do your own research, here is a list of excellent articles reviewing the two:

WordPress Vs Blogger And Their Pro Blogging, SEO And Social Media Advantages And Disadvantages

Blogger vs WordPress vs Tumblr Comparison - 2012

Blogging service shootout: Blogger vs. WordPress

WordPress vs Blogger: It never ends well

Social Media Icons Courtesy of Cute Little Factory

2012-05-15T21:11:00.000-04:00

If you have been looking to add social media icons to your blog or website, a great resource to visit would be Cute Little Factory. The online home of designer and illustrator Andrea Austoni. He hosts a blog of his works, including this page with free icons you can use on your own website.

If you are looking for a unique graphic to drive your site visitors to your social media pages, Andrea provides a very nice selection of social media icon sets to choose from.

UPDATE May 20, 2012:

Since writing this post, I have been on the hunt for the perfect set of icon's for my husband's website. As a result, I have come across many excellent social media network listings, so I am posting them here.

Social media icon websites worth visting:

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2010/10/ultimate-collection-of-social-media-icons/

http://designrfix.com/freebies/social-media-icons-blog

http://www.youthedesigner.com/2010/02/25/40-new-and-trendy-free-social-media-bookmark-icon-sets/

http://smashinghub.com/80-free-high-quality-social-media-icon-sets.htm

http://www.refreshi.com/blog/40-social-networking-icon-sets

Rethinking Your Resume: This Ain't Your Momma's Job Search

2012-05-08T23:21:00.001-04:00

The old way: You dusted off your resume, updated a few things, edited past information, fired up your local job website, and maybe emailed a few people you knew.

The new way: You create an attention grabbing resume, an infographic of your background using vizualize.me, share erudite tweets with industry-specific updates, join and contribute to expert groups on LinkedIn.com, and update your subject matter blog with useful posts.

Are you still with me?

If you are still stuck on the resume part, check out Blue Sky Resumes. They offer resume, LinkedIn profile, and other career building services. What makes their website worth a visit are all the great resources, including their blog, which provide a plethora of information and guidance (all gratis) for those embarking on 21st century job search.

I signed up for their free 6 part resume course, which comes via email. I would highly recommend it. If you sign up, let us know what you think in the comments below. And Happy Hunting!

Blogging and Your Facebook Page in 3 Easy Steps: A Strategy to Drive Traffic to Your Website

2012-05-03T08:52:00.000-04:00

If you have a Facebook page for your business, you probably post links to useful information or things that your customers might like to read. That is a great use of your company's page. People want a reason to come back and visit your page or website.

Any company worth their salt on Facebook knows the point is to engage people and build your fan base. But twist try this twist on posting links to help drive traffic to your website, not to other people's:

If you have a company website with a news page or better yet, a blog, why not post the link there?
Write a 2 or 3 sentence introduction and some commentary on your thoughts about the article.
Then share the link to the post on YOUR website in your Facebook feed.

Viola! Instantly you are driving more traffic to your site. (And if you don't have a Facebook page or a website - get cracking, your customers are looking for you online!)

2nd Annual USA Science & Engineering Festival, April 28th & 29th, Washington, D.C.

2012-04-27T21:46:00.000-04:00

If you have some free time this weekend, head over to the 2nd Annual USA Science & Engineering Festival, in Washington, D.C. The best part, besides the super-awesome exhibits? It's free! For details, visit the website at http://www.usasciencefestival.org/. And if you attend? Let us know how what you thought of the Festival.

The Republic of Facebook - Why Your Business, No Matter How Small, Needs a Facebook Page

2010-07-25T11:18:00.003-04:00

Facebook is here to stay. Your son is posting YouTube links, your wife is putting up pictures of the dog, and now, even your mom is on there! Like or not, social media is here to stay and your customers are using it.

The graphic on the right, from the folks at Visual Economics, illustrates the sheer numbers behind the Facebook phenomenon. They illustrate why your business, no matter how small, needs a presence there.

Two of the most eye-popping statistics:

Over 500 million users - and growing!
200 million use it daily

It doesn't take much to set up a basic page with your contact information, a link to your website, and provide people a with a way to interact with you, where they already are.

ThredUp and Save Money on Children's Clothing

2010-07-19T21:25:00.000-04:00

Let's face it - kids grow, their clothes don't. You want them to look their best, but you don't have the time or budget to spend your days endlessly shopping. You can always browse yard sales, Goodwill, or other second hand stores. Those however, tend to be hit or miss and you spend a lot of time looking, just to find a few acceptable pieces.

There is a new site that lets you bypass all that searching and brings it to the comfort of your laptop, ThredUp.com. The site allows you to exchange boxes of gently used clothing with other families. Boxes of clothing are listed by size and whether they are tops, bottoms, or mixed. Similar to ebay, members rate previous exchanges, so you know what you are getting. You don't pay for the clothes, but you do pay a $13.00 per box shipping fee.

Right now there are 13,000 members and growing. Joining is free, so why not at least sign up to browse boxes and see if you find something you like? And if you do, let me know what you think.

Mint.com - worth the time to organize your personal finances

2010-07-06T15:03:00.000-04:00

Trying to get a grasp on your finances? Have accounts and loans spread across various banks, credit card companies, credit unions? Then Mint.com is the solution for you! Available on the web or your mobile device (yes, there is the even a iPhone app).

Set-up is pretty quick and painless, as they have data links with most financial institutions in the US. If you already have online access, you just find the company and enter your login information (provided you can remember the answers to those pesky security questions).

Mint.com is like your nagging mother - but without the other personal baggage. It's automated systems will alert you when your spending in one category gets out of hand. Or when your bills or due. Or if you are paying fees that don't seem to make sense.

The Blog

Hello World

MileIQ - Mileage Tracking for Business Use of Your Car

Snapseed - Hands Down the Best Photo Editing App for Mobile

For more tips and tricks on using Snapseed to up your photo game, check out these links:

To Download the App on Your Phone:

How to Set-up A Website Address Tutorial - aka Buying a Domain Name

think with Google - Painless Data and Trend Insights You Need For Your Business

Podcast Episode 3 - Mother's Day!

Episode 3 - Mother's Day! Power of Transparency Podcast

Power of Transparency Podcast with Lisa Liberatore and Kat Petersen

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

How to Start Your Own Podcast - In 5 Easy Steps

Podcast Episode 2 - Sorry Not Sorry!

Episode 2 - Sorry Not Sorry! Power of Transparency Podcast

Power of Transparency Podcast with Lisa Liberatore and Kat Petersen

Conversations about motherhood, careers, owning a business, and personal relationships.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

APOLOGIZING

PRIORITY & TIME MANAGEMENT

VOLUNTEERING LINKS

MainelyOnline Gets a Logo!

Podcast Episode 1 - Meet Lisa & Kat!

Episode 1 - Meet Lisa & Kat! Power of Transparency Podcast

Power of Transparency Podcast with Lisa Liberatore

Conversations about motherhood, careers, owning a business, and personal relationships.

Freshbooks in 2017 - My #1 Pick for Small Business Accounting

Facebook is Not Your Company's Website

Facebook Pages for Business 101

Who ME? Allow remote working?

Our mission is to change the culture of workthrough programs and policies that benefitremote workers, organizations, and communities.

No Thank you, Forbes. I don't need a blouse.*

Hey Small Business Owner - Is your email still YourBusiness@Gmail.com?

5 Years Later...!

WordPress vs. Blogger

Social Media Icons Courtesy of Cute Little Factory

Rethinking Your Resume: This Ain't Your Momma's Job Search

Blogging and Your Facebook Page in 3 Easy Steps: A Strategy to Drive Traffic to Your Website

2nd Annual USA Science & Engineering Festival, April 28th & 29th, Washington, D.C.

The Republic of Facebook - Why Your Business, No Matter How Small, Needs a Facebook Page

ThredUp and Save Money on Children's Clothing

Mint.com - worth the time to organize your personal finances

Our mission is to change the culture of work
through programs and policies that benefit
remote workers, organizations, and communities.