Web Worker Daily |
| Build a Twitter-Monitoring Dashboard Using TweetGrid Posted: 04 May 2009 04:00 PM PDT Written by Simon Mackie. There’s a huge amount of interesting conversation happening all the time on Twitter, about your company, your project, and countless other things in which you’re interested. But keeping track of all those conversations is hard. That’s where free web app TweetGrid comes in. It enables you to easily build a monitoring dashboard to track topics by arranging real-time Twitter searches in a customizable grid layout. While some Twitter desktop clients, like Tweetdeck, have this kind of functionality, Tweetgrid is interesting because it’s a web app; you don’t need to download anything or even need a Twitter login to use it. You can search for terms, hashtags and conversations and you can save your dashboard just by bookmarking the page. Here’s a quick screencast showing what it can do: WWD Screencast: TweetGrid from WebWorkerDaily on Vimeo. What do you use for monitoring Twitter buzz? (via DownloadSquad)        |
| gwabbit Brings Its Contact Capture to the BlackBerry Posted: 04 May 2009 03:00 PM PDT Written by Scott Blitstein.
Automatic text parsing of emails to make this process easier is becoming more common, though. On the desktop side of things we have the gwabbit for Outlook application we looked at back in March, which got mixed reviews from us. In my testing I thought it worked well, while Simon preferred Anagram, which offers similar functionality. Not being a regular Outlook user, though, gwabbit offered little long-term value for me, and I imagine quite a few of us use web-based tools for our CRM needs. The folks behind gwabbit are hoping to ease our pain by bringing their offering to the mobile platform, beginning with gwabbit for Blackberry, which they announced today at WES 2009. gwabbit for BlackBerry brings the same single-click identifying process to your mobile where you can then use the inherent sync capabilities of the device to get this information into your contact manager of choice. The application will be available from Blackberry App World on May 25 and will cost $9.95 annually. How do you capture you contact info?      |
| Streamline Your Gmail With the “Send & Archive” Button Posted: 04 May 2009 01:00 PM PDT Written by Jenny Kortina. I love Gmail. With it I can flag emails and sort my mail into folders, have multiple email accounts forwarded to one Gmail account, and it has great calendar and map integration. I have my email with me wherever I go: I can check it on my iPhone, on my MacBook Air, or on a friend’s computer. I also have elaborate auto filtering and tagging systems set up to make sure all my client emails stay sorted. Oh, did I mention offline mode? I can have all my emails downloaded to my computer so I can see them even when I am not online. Recently I discovered a new Labs feature that makes me love Gmail even more: the “Send & Archive” button. I rely on email as my main line of communication with my clients, and I have a whole system worked out. I use my inbox like a to-do list. Clients email me tasks, and as I complete them, I move the message out of my inbox. Whatever remains in my inbox are the tasks that I need to complete; the goal is to have an empty inbox. My old method was to reply to emails and then manually move them out of my inbox with the “Archive” button, a laborious two-step process. That was until I discovered the “Send & Archive” button! Now I just click one button to send my response and archive the email out of my inbox. To enable “Send & Archive”:
Now when you compose messages you will have a fancy “Send & Archive” button seated very nicely right next to your now-archaic “Send” button. I hope this method helps keep you organized. As a freelancer, I am often juggling multiple projects and like to make my life as simple and streamlined as possible. What Labs features do you use to streamline Gmail?      |
| Web Worker Careers: Virtual Assistant Posted: 04 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Written by Meryl Evans.
Monday Morning VA owner Dawn Martinello defines a VA as someone who “works off-site and provides administrative and other business support to different types of businesses.” As Caroline Pigott of VIP Assistant Solutions notes, “Clients are happy to find a one-stop shop rather than find someone different for every task,” she says. Could becoming a VA be a good career move for you? Virtual Assistant Careers Administrative activities run the gamut from managing calendars and travel arrangements to planning meetings and doing data entry. VAs schedule appointments, proofread documents, work with invoices, manage logistics for moves and handle mailings. Creatives do web design, graphic design, desktop publishing and set up blogs. Marketing assistants work on marketing strategies, manage web site content, handle brochures and advertisements, write and distribute press releases, publish newsletters and create presentations. They also help with social networking, search engine optimization (SEO) research and pay-per-click (PPC) monitoring activities. Office management involves human resources activities such as managing employee benefits, doing medical research and management, checking references, screening applicants, helping personnel and new hires. Responsibilities may also include financial activities such as bookkeeping, billing and managing payroll. Combination Most VAs do some combination of some or all of the above activities. Laura Paul, Virtual Administrative Success Solutions, says she’s an administrative assistant, executive assistant, business manager, project manager, sales assistant, marketing assistant and human resources assistant. Jennifer Goodwin, CEO of Jennifer Goodwin Companies, says, “VAs do it all. A VA can choose to niche in one vertical market or a VA can be a ‘Jane of all Trades’ who specializes in the full spectrum of marketing from traditional print opportunity seeking to the latest web technology and social marketing.” How to Qualify The Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce survey reports that almost all of the respondents said they had five or more years of administrative experience, with skills ranging from administration and bookkeeping to web design and marketing. Half of the respondents gained experience on the job while almost 30 percent have VA business training or skills certification. There are quite a few places offering VA resources, including:
Several organizations offer certification for VAs, including: Tools Many VAs rely on as little as a computer, Internet and phone. Of course, they use the usual software for documentation and emailing. Depending on an individual VAs focus, they may use a scanner, time tracking software and invoice services, publishing tools and/or video editing software. Find Clients Most VAs find their clients through referrals and social networking sites. Other marketing methods vary; many VAs join organizations and forums, get listed in directories, run email and direct mail campaigns, blog, write articles and more. Judy Schramm, CEO of Proresource LLC, says, “I recommend specializing, as with any other kind of freelancing. That will help VAs get more and better referrals. It also reduces the cost of marketing and increases the rates you can charge.” Schramm suggests visiting sites that match VAs with clients such as Assistant Match, Virtual Assistant Networking Association (also a business network) and IAVOA’s Directory. Are you considering a VA career? Image by stock.xchng user Zanetta Hardy      |
| What’s In Your Bag, James Kendrick? Posted: 04 May 2009 09:00 AM PDT Written by James Kendrick. I have been a mobile worker for many years, and my gear has evolved over time to fit the way I work. I can divide my work routine into three different scenarios (on the road, day trips, and “work sessions of opportunity”), and I have a unique tool kit for each one. My gear changes frequently due to my work on jkOnTheRun, so this snapshot is certainly not static by any means. One thing common to all of my kits is that I like to be be as light and mobile as possible. On the Road The first mobile scenario I prepare for is my traveling kit. I don’t travel as much as I did in years past, but I do make several trips each year and must prepare for durations that range from a couple of days through a week or more. My “long distance” tool kit is good enough that the duration of my trip doesn’t change it much.  Travel bag I like the Booq Boa XS backpack because it is as thin and light as can be, yet will easily carry everything I need. It’s with me for years and has logged thousands of miles. It’s small enough that once I reach my destination it can become my knocking around bag, too. Unfortunately, Booq no longer sells this bag, but their product line is worth a look. My main workhorse is the aluminum 13-inch MacBook. It’s thin and light enough to easily carry it everywhere, yet it’s a powerful laptop for getting my work done. A second battery goes in the bag as I don’t carry a power adapter when I’m out for day trips, and the two batteries easily get me around 10 hours of work, which is plenty. For longer trips, I have a cable stash pouch, which is where the MacBook adapter lives. This pouch also has an Ethernet cable, in case I need one at a hotel, and the indispensable Monster Outlets To Go. This gadget provides four power outlets that are surge-protected, so I never have to worry about outlets at any hotel. The Monster has saved my bacon on many occasions. I now carry the Kodak Zi6 pocket camera on most trips as I never know when I want to shoot some HD video clips of gadgets for my work. The Zi6 is as small as can be but shoots very high-quality video. The battery charger and a USB multi-card reader go in the cable stash, and the Kodak goes in my backpack. The only other gear that goes in my travel bag is connectivity-related, as I simply must have good Internet connectivity everywhere I go. Currently, I am using the Verizon USB727 modem for high-speed connectivity, which is usually so good I don’t worry if the hotel has Wi-Fi or not. Verizon has good coverage in all the big cities in the U.S. I frequent, and it’s usually all I need to get online. I have my iPhone 3G in my pocket at all times for phone calls and for quick email work. This is not restricted to this scenario; I carry it all the time. Day Trips  Day trip kit I work from my home but frequently head out into the world for work sessions to stop myself from getting isolated. These day trips can last anywhere from two to five hours, so I don’t need to take much with me. I throw the Macbook and the second battery into the Booq bag, and off I go without a worry. Of course, the Verizon USB727 modem goes with me, too, just in case I don’t find Wi-Fi around. This little kit is all I need to work, no matter where I end up. Work Sessions of Opportunity Over the years, I have discovered that I often find myself with “work sessions of opportunity.” I have a special selection of kits for those times. What are these opportune work sessions? Let’s say I am out running errands and find myself with half an hour of unexpected free time on my hands. I have realized that using these times when they crop up can let me get a lot of work done if I am properly prepared. That’s where my special tool kit comes into play. Most people aren’t able to capture these opportunities when they crop up because they don’t have the proper gear with them. That’s understandable, because the last thing any of us want to do is carry our laptops with us all the time. I get around that with the Viliv S5 Ultra-mobile PC (UMPC). It’s slightly bigger than a PDA yet is a full PC. It fits in my pants pocket, but since my work involves writing I often need a good keyboard.  UMPC kit -- no laughing at the man purse! I use a portable Bluetooth keyboard, the Stowaway Sierra (unfortunately no longer available) and a Bluetooth travel mouse, also by Stowaway. These two gadgets go along with the UMPC into a man purse that I carry with me for non-work local trips. When free time crops up, I can pull these little devices out of the bag and take full advantage of it. The ability to do this means I’m able to knock off work earlier on many days than I could if I didn’t have this stuff with me. That makes it worth the embarrassment of carrying the man purse around.  UMPC in action Use Your Head I find it beneficial to have the different tool kits to fit the particular work sessions because my mantra is to keep things as light and simple as possible. My gear lets me get the most out of anything that I am confronted with during my day, yet I don’t carry anything nonessential. Most folks tend to carry too much gear with them “just in case,” but for me, it’s not worth it. What’s in your bag?      |
| Selling the Multi-Skilled Freelancer Posted: 04 May 2009 07:00 AM PDT Written by Celine Roque.
It doesn’t stop there. You need to learn how to write well, so you can communicate better with our clients and have more persuasive copy on our web sites. You need to have some SEO skills, too. Learning these skills is much easier now than it was 10 years ago. There are hundreds of online tutorials, e-books and other resources that we can turn to. As you use these new skills, you’ll eventually become good at them. In fact, sometimes you become good enough to ask yourself, “Should I try to do this professionally?” The Advantages of Selling Multiple Skills The most obvious benefit of monetizing all of your skills is that you won’t be putting all our eggs in one basket, so to speak. When I was starting out as a web worker, I marketed myself as a writer, a keyword researcher and a designer. As a result, I was never out of work, and I could provide multiple services to the same client. Learning and practicing several fields can also feel fulfilling, especially if you’re in a phase where your work is getting too repetitive or feels less challenging. If you’re usually a web designer and you suddenly have an opportunity to work on developing an application, this new direction can be a refreshing change. Some of the things you learn from your new project might shed some insight that you can apply to your usual work. With that said, trying to sell all our skills also has its disadvantages. The Disadvantages of Selling Multiple Skills While it may seem more sensible financially to profit from all of your skills, it’s not necessarily feasible or practical. Unless you have an assistant or are naturally organized, it will be hard to manage different projects, clients and marketing tactics across the several services you provide. Perhaps more importantly, it’s much harder to stand out in one industry if you spread yourself too thin. By working in several different fields, you can’t commit as much time and effort to any single one of them. For example, if you spend half of your time as a social media marketing consultant, it will be hard to keep up with the other experts in that field who devote 100 percent of their working hours on it. Even with these disadvantages, it’s rare for me to meet a freelancer who only does one kind of work. Perhaps the challenge lies in knowing how to prioritize and how to make the most out of every skill we develop. Do you work in one freelancing field exclusively or do you have multiple streams of income? What has your experience been like?      |
Having complete and accurate contact information for the folks you communicate with is an important, but often neglected, practice. Oftentimes, the details we need are included in our email communication, but the process of capturing that information is difficult or time-consuming.
As the employment landscape continues to shift, some job titles are waning in importance, while others are on the rise — among them, virtual assistants. In fact, more than half of the respondents to a 
Online freelancers are forced to wear many hats. From the actual work you do, to administrative and support skills, you’re responsible for everything.| You are subscribed to email updates from WebWorkerDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
Inbox too full?  Subscribe to the feed version of WebWorkerDaily in a feed reader. | |
| If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: WebWorkerDaily, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep a civil tongue.