Businesses today must be more “social” when to comes to doing business. Customers want to interact with people and they want to get to know the businesses that they are dealing with on a social level. Any business who does not do this is only hurting themselves at the end of the day. This is a vital part of doing business today in an era of technology.

Mark Zuckerberg,CEO of Facebook explained it best in this video clip:

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We all want to feel connected to someone and something. So it’s only natural that this is spilling over into the business world. Why do you think more and more businesses are creating pages on Facebook, Google+ and other platforms? It’s because there is something very powerful about being social.

Ask yourself how social you are with your target audience and current customers? What can you do to become more social?

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Kim Beasley

Everyday there are violations of copyright going on all around us. With the evolution of the internet, the doors have opened even wider with possibilities for copyright violations to occur. Places like YouTube have been a common place for copyright infringements to occur as people use music and pictures to create the next YouTube sensation.

YouTube has taken extra precautions to make sure that copyright violations are caught promptly however it doesn’t always mean having your video banned. Sometimes the artist, musician or creator can actually allow your video which features their work to go live. Why? Because word of mouth advertising is sometimes the best advertising there is.

Watch this video from TED to see how YouTube’s system works:

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In a recent TedTalks podcast, author Elizabeth Gilbert, gave an 18 minute talk about her life and her success. That talk, while deeply personal, was funny and quite moving. In her talk she discussed how within each person is some stroke of genius. You don’t have to have achieved a high score on the IQ scale to be  a genius. For within each person lies the ability to pull from within themselves and the world around them, the genius nature that is waiting for them.

Part of life is about the self discovery that we find within ourselves. We all want to be successful and we all want to know what our life plan is. How can we achieve more? Within us is a drive and desire to succeed. However if you don’t succeed in ways you think you should or if you don’t follow up a success with another success does that make you a failure? According to Elizabeth Gilbert the answer is no. She states that if you do your part and you show up and do the work then you’ve done what you needed to do. You’ve made your mark just by doing what needed to be done at that moment.

Her talk is an excellent and inspiring video to watch. Enjoy!

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2011 had its share of ups and downs for small businesses. With every business there is a plan for the success of that business. Goals are developed and measured to determine effectiveness. With a new year comes new opportunities and new ways of looking at things for 2012. Being a part of the small business world requires a new way of thinking and there are some things to keep in mind:

• 2012 is an era of technology. Today more people access the internet via their cellphones and tablets. Be sure that your website, emails and other online marketing efforts are geared towards this mobile movement. There’s nothing worse then someone wanting to look at your site and finding out that it does not have a mobile application and so they can’t view it. So be sure your site is mobile ready.
• Reach out to your local community. People like to purchase from a local business if they can over an out of town business so cater to this market. Be sure you are easily found in the local directories like Google places and Yahoo maps. The easier you are to find; the more business you can obtain from your local community.
• Make sure you have a website. It seems like a simple task but you’d be surprised at how many small business don’t actually have a website. If you’re one of them then you are missing out on a whole new audience that you can’t reach through traditional marketing efforts. A website is one of those business “must haves”. 
• Consider incorporating or forming an LLC. By incorporating or forming an LLC you are protecting your personal assets from any business liabilities, lawsuits and debt collections. You don’t want your personal assets being affected by a bad business decision.
• Business is about networking and while we are in the online era you still have to have those face-to-face moments. So seek these opportunities out whether it is a conference or workshop or a small business luncheon. There are plenty of opportunities all around so keep your eyes open.
• Support other small businesses. It’s that “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” mentality when it comes to small businesses. You’re competing with the big boys so support one another by using each others services when possible. It brings in revenue and forms a network.
• Take care of yourself because when running a small business the burden falls on you. So you have to look and feel your best so that you can put your best foot forward. 

2012 can be a year of positive changes when it comes to your small business. Each small step brings you closer to being more successful and making the connections you need to remain in business.

When it comes to online payments today a leader in the payment industry is PayPal. Let’s face it, if you have a website and your selling a product or service you nee to have a way to accept online payments. If you’re not a big enough business to set up a merchant account to accept credit cards what are you going to do? This is where PayPal stands out in the crowd.

With PayPal you can accept credit card payments from your clients and customers. What’s even better is you can literally set up your PayPal account in minutes. So you’ll be up and running in no time. Via PayPal you can accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

Sure there is a small fee to accept credit card payments but they are no where near what it would cost to get a typical merchant account through a credit card company. Through PayPal you pay:

When running an online business there is so much to do. Just as with any traditional brick and mortar business you have expenses, clients/customers, vendors and more. Keeping track of all your expenses as well as your invoices and billing can be a daunting task if you don’t have a good system in place.

One program that is worth its weight in gold is Freshbooks. This easy to use, online program can save your countless hours when it comes to your billing and expense tracking. With Freshbooks you can send and manage all your invoices from one easy ti use application. Plus you can accept payments online with Credit cards, e-Checks or PayPal.

Are you tired of sending out payment reminders to your customers? Well, those days are over as Freshbooks has an automated reminder system that handles this task for you. If you’re a small start-up, you can get the look and feel of the big boys with professional invoices that can even accommodate your business logo.

Freshbooks is one of the top rate programs for billing and expense tracking. Learn more of what this amazing tool can do for your business by clicking here.

You’re an expert. Did you know that? Think of the times that people ask you for advice based on your profession. You know your stuff. That’s why people come to you. There are plenty of people out there who need your expertise. It’s about making connections and networking.

Now there is a place where experts come together for a common cause; sharing their knowledge with others. That place is called Maven. Mavin is not just a way to network. It’s not just another social platform. At Maven, members not only get a platform to share what they know but it’s another outlet to make money. People are constantly looking for experts to assist them. They are even willing to pay for that expertise. Maven is your outlet to getting what you know in the hands of others.

Maven members come from all professions to include: attorneys, physicians, accountants, social media experts, mechanics, and more. You’re in business because of what you know so why not take our expertise to a whole new level? Exposure is valuable and building your reputation is valuable. Maven is the platform to get you to where you want to be. Learn more about Maven by clicking here. Today is the day to make your presence known. Maven will help you do just that.

Online businesses pop up each and every day. However creating an online business that will be successful and will last is a different  story. There is so much competition today when it comes to online business. There is so much to know when you take your business online. Running a traditional brick and mortar business is hard enough but when you put it on the World Wide Web there is a whole new set of rules that need to be followed and a whole new audience that can be reached. Running an online business is not as simple as throwing a website together and posting it live on the Internet.

If you don’t know the right things to do, if you don’t know the most effective approaches then you could be wasting valuable time and money. Now there is a resource that is changing the landscape of those wishing to start and run a successful online business. It’s called Nicheology.

Nicheology will help you find the online business that is right for you and then will teach you the things you need to know to have a successful online business amongst the competition out there. Today you need to stand apart from your competition. You need to know how to reach your audience and grab them. Nicheology is the place to do that. Learn more by clicking here or click the ad to the right. It’s the first step to changing your business and your life.

Google has been working to make sure that G+ is the best experience and tool possible. The hangouts are an easy way to communicate live with a group. Now hangouts have gotten even better. As part of the beta test program I have been asked to try out “Google Hangouts on Air”. What is it exactly?

Well if you have a business, product or service this “on air” option will become important for you. Now your hangout sessions can be recorded, aired live and streaming as well as aired later to the world.

Hangouts allow you to video conference with 9 people at one time. With the “on air” option after 9 people have entered the hangout, all other users won’t be able to join in on the live chat but will be able to watch the live stream from YouTube. Now that is a powerful marketing tool in the palm of your hands.

You can check out my first Hangout on Air broadcast below:

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This could become an important business tool. You’ll not only be able to connect with people easily but you’ll be able to stream live to users all over the world. Google+ is giving users easy and effective ways to not only stay connected but to market to others with one simple tool. Google is changing the way we live and do business. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!

Google has been enhancing their products and services to make them more enticing to users. Gmail has undergone a makeover and has a new look. Did you know that you can change the layout of Gmail to suit you? It’s true. You can keep the traditional look or go with a vertical or horizontal layout.

Changing your layout will allow you to get the most out of your Gmail account. It will also give you a chance to get a sneak peak at your emails in an easy to view layout.

This video will show you step by step how to do it:

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Side note: If you don’t see the tab in the video to change your layout then you simply need to change your settings. Under the settings menu click on labs. This will bring up a menu of all the labs you can choose. You want to ensure that the lab titled “Preview Pane” is enabled. Once it is you should see the tab to change your layout.

This is a simple yet effective tool to give you more power with your Gmail account.