Holistic Business

This is a great tip if you work with a lot of files on your computer.

I find from time to time that I’m working real heavily in one particular file. Now, if that file does not start with a number or a letter at the beginning of the alphabet, you’ve got to scroll for it - right?

Wrong! Just rename the file with a ’space’ in front of the name (click once, then click again but not a double click, and you should have the file name highlighted). So, if the file was named “Yesterday’s News” and it always showed up at the bottom of the list - rename it ” Yesterday’s News” with the space in front - and it will be the first file that pops up.

Then, if that project takes on a lesser priority, rename it again, deleting the space - and lo and behold - it goes back into the alpha-numeric order.

A little thing - but can save a lot of time and hassle. Hope you like it.

Don’t understand? Send me an email, I’ll be happy to help you out!

Working more effeciently - don’t we all want that?

Namaste ~ ~ ~

Where is that folder???

Do you have a lot of folders in “My Documents” and find yourself using a few of them quite often? Maybe you have to scroll for them because they are down a ways in the alphabetical chain? But you like to keep a tidy desktop and don’t like to create shortcuts for everything?

I’ve got a great solution for you.

Go into “My Documents” or wherever you have all these folders. Find one that you always have to scroll for. Click it once, wait a sec, then click it again. DON’T DOUBLE CLICK! Or you will open the folder!

The second click should highlight the folder name in a little box. Put the cursor in front of the first character and click - this should unhighlight the entire name.

Now - insert a space (hit the space bar) so that the first “character” is a space. You are renaming the file with the same name, just a space in front of it for those of you familiar with the process in renaming a file.

Click away from the folder to save the change - and WA-LA! The folder should now be showing first in the list!

Cool - huh?

Just don’t blame me if you do this with forty folders and still have to scroll!

This way, you can put a shortcut on your desktop just for “My Documents” or wherever you keep your most used folders and only have one shortcut and still save yourself a lot of time.

Clean computer desktop and a saved step - can’t beat that!

Oh, BTW - this works on PCs and Macs. I use a Mac myself for the most part and love to find tips that can be shared across the board.

~ ~ ~

Just a little side note: if you are a Holistic Business owner interested in networking - check out Holistic Business Networking. I’ll be sharing tips there too and be keeping my eyes out for specific questions about time saving computing tips. Believe me, being a Virtual Assistant has me always on the prowl for timesaving tips for myself and my clients!

Namaste ~ ~ ~

Technorati Tags: Holistic Business, Holistic Business Networking, Virtual Assistant

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

I received my first file that was saved on the new Windows Office 2007 System. Crud!

For those of you that don’t know - I’m on a Mac. Double crud! But - I do love my Mac!

I do also have a Windows based PC I not so affectionately refer to as my coffee grinder/lear jet because of all the noise it makes.

So, I didn’t even notice at first that this document has a .docx extension until I can’t open it. I didn’t want to have to fire up old Bessie and I felt certain there would be a way for me to open it.

After a quick online search I came across the answer as to how to open it and thought I’d share it here.

1. save the file to your desktop (or elsewhere, this is just easier I think)
2. click on the file name and replace the .docx with .zip
3. unzip the file
4. open up your Safari browser
5. choose -> File -> Open File
6. locate the folder on your desktop
7. locate and click the “word” folder
8. choose the “document.xml” file

You should now be able to read the text in your browser window. It won’t be pretty or formatted but you will at least be able to view the text.

What would be best is if users of the new 2007 applications continued to save under the old 3 digit file extensions (even those on a Microsoft PC won’t be able to open them unless they’ve kept up with all the Compatibility Packs) but that probably won’t happen.

I did read that a fix for Mac users is due out early Spring, but in the meantime hopefully this will help.

If you need help opening Microsoft 2007 files on your Mac, drop me an email.

I’ll spend some time on the old coffee grinder in the next few days and post for all of you on PCs that may not know exactly what to do when it comes to the updates and such to be able to open these files.

Advances - gotta love them . . .

Technorati Tags: love my Mac, Microsoft 2007 files on your Mac

This is going to be a great tele-seminar. I can vouch for the AudioAcrobat software that Pat’s company has produced. It is extremely easy to use and produces great results. I conducted several tests - calling in on landline phone, cell phone, with and without headset, etc. and all the recording sounded marvelous!

This is not what the entire seminar is about, just wanted to mention that it’s a great product and a wonderful way to get your voice and your message on your Web site and/or blog, record podcasts, coaching sessions, or tele-classes, and receive testimonials from clients.

To register for the seminar go here.

Anyway - here are the specs (you need to sign up ahead of time):

Using Radio PR to Promote Your Business
with Pat Lynch of WomensRadio

DATE: Thursday, February 15, 2007
TIME: 5pm PST / 6pm MST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST
LENGTH: 60 minutes (please call in 10 min. early)
COST: FREE!

You know you need to employ PR (public relations) to promote your business, but it was not exactly your major in college, so to speak.

Besides, you are so busy just handling the details of your business.

And then you have those snooty people in the media who make you feel like a pebble on the beach. You’re not even sure what to do first or how much time and money to spend to get it done. You’ve heard you can get publicity for free, but that assumes you know something about publicity, PR and the media. Where do you start?

Start with this one-hour tele-seminar!

Pat Lynch started her own PR, advertising and marketing firm in Atlanta at the age of 25, and was the first women to do so in the South. Pat is going to share some:

–practical advice on getting started
–methods of ramping up to be the media expert, and
–taking advantage of on-the-ground radio as well as the new Web world–Web radio and blogs, too!

No matter what your level of media sophistication, you’ll get something from the fast-paced trip to help you use radio PR to promote your business.

About Pat Lynch, WomensRadio
During her 34 years in advertising, marketing and public relations, Pat was an innovator in the use of media. She began a media company for women in 1996. The first project was WomensRadio. In 2002, she launched WomensCalendar and WomensCalendar eNewsletter that reaches some half million women leaders each week.

In 2004, her company launched two new media services: Press Your Point, a powerful, yet inexpensive press release service; and AudioAcrobat, a unique and very easy-to-use audio recording and streaming service. In 2005, her company launched the all-new Women’s Radio with it’s “hub” of 30 minute-long programs.

Pat is a frequent speaker at women’s events, not only about the use of media, but more importantly, about her favorite subject “Speaking Up.”

This free tele-seminar is being offered to the business community by the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce.

Technorati Tags: AudioAcrobat, Pat Lynch, WomensRadio, Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce

Testimonials on your Web site and printed materials are great. No questions there. As a business owner, when you read what a client has written about your services you can be totally blown away and perhaps even blush. It VALIDATES you and what you hold near and dear. It tells you that you are doing a good job, are respected, and your extra value added services mean a great deal to your clients.

Go forward in time.

Someone who has given you a glowing testimonial is no longer a client. Let’s assume it is NOT because you fell asleep and let your service level lapse. Maybe, if you are in a Healing Arts profession - the client has moved. Or you are a Coach that specializes in working with Holistic Healers and they’ve gone on to a different career. Or you are a Virtual Assistant that does not offer Web Design and your client found someone who could offer that AND the administrative support.

Do you keep their testimonial on your site? What they said - when they said it - is very, very true. My first reaction from an ethical point of view would be - yes - you keep it on there. You are not deceiving anyone.

But, just this week, I encountered something that has me thinking a bit differently.

I’ve been researching a particular service for one of my clients. It’s Web-based and they have a ton of competition out there - but they are not one of the “tops” in their market.

I tried finding non-partial reviews - they were not included in any of them. Now, the fact that they are less costly and not in the “Top Ten” does not frighten me at all. There ARE some companies out there that aren’t striving to scrape every last dime they can out of their subscribers and who truly want to offer good service at an affordable price.

So - how do I determine (aside from getting the free trial and crawling around inside of it as best I can) - if they are a “good” deal?

I contact people who have left testimonials!!!

Yup, I sent emails, signed up for free stuff to see if they were still using the same shopping cart/auto repsonder service that I was researching.

Well . . .

Very mixed reviews. I could tell when my “free” stuff came in - they were not using this service.

I then contacted some by email to inquire, mentioning that I had read their rave review.

No response, no response, no reponse, and an honest “well, I tried it and checked it out and it seemed really good - AND the owners are really good friends of mine and I know they stand behind their product.”

OK - I’m not writing this company off. I need to get on the phone with them, ask some specific questions, and get some real-time users names and contact information and delve a bit further.

But - it did get me thinking. If I do this - don’t other people? What testimonials do you have on your Web site or marketing material?

Just a suggestion - take a look and maybe make sure your testimonials are up to date. For someone less open-minded than me and willing to give the benefit of the doubt - you could be losing potential business.

Technorati Tags: Testimonials, Healing Arts, Coach, Holistic Healers, Virtual Assistant, administrative support