Chris Ducker

Expert Business Growth, Virtual Staffing & Personal Branding

The ‘New Business’ Manifesto

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New Business Manifesto

Throughout the course of a normal week, I’ll receive hundreds of questions from small business owners and startup entrepreneurs on the subject of starting and growing companies in today’s incredibly fast moving business world.

A lot of the time they are via our Facebook Community, and I’ll reply there directly. Sometimes its on Twitter, and some times via email. Bottom line: I freakin’ love hearing from you – regardless of how you reach out. So, please don’t stop!

One thing that I really love is the fact that the large majority of these messages come in from people that have already taken and finished my free training course, the ‘New Business’ Bootcamp, giving them a great kickstart in the process!

But, growing a business in today’s market is not just about learning how to blog, podcast, how to utilize online video, or work with virtual assistants (to name a few of the subjects tackled in the bootcamp). It’s also just as important to have the right mindset, than it is to have the skills!

We need to encapsulate EVERYTHING that we should ALL be about, in regards to changing the way we startup, market and build our businesses in today’s economy, so I bring to you, the ‘New Business’ Manifesto!

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5 Secrets to Controlling Technology (and not letting IT control YOU!)

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Note from Chris: I’m in the process of preparing for back surgery (thanks to all of you who have sent ‘good luck’ messages), so today I’d like to hand over the blog to the very capable and informative friend of mine, Phil Montero from The Anywhere Office. In today’s guest post, Phil (pictured, left) will provide answers to a few frequently asked questions about common pitfalls of a digital workplace. Something that, as new-age entrepreneurs, we must always pay attention.

Over to Phil…

Information Overload

Q: As mobile technology has transformed business and the workplace in the past few years, is information overload now a concern for businesses and their employees?

A: Yes information overload is a concern as we are exposed to much more information than ever before.  Email, blogs, podcasts, social media, video, TV, newspapers, and other media can make it hard to keep up. It used to be there was a much smaller pool of information and it was mostly consumed in the workplace – but with today’s mobile tools we can access and consume this information from pretty much anywhere.

It is an advantage but it can also be a challenge to know when and how to turn it off and take a break without getting overwhelmed.

Hardware Convergence

Q: In terms of hardware we use multiple devices including laptops, cell phone, work computer, tablet, etc, and online people increasingly have several email accounts, twitter, facebook and so on –  do you see this trend for multiplicity increasing in the years ahead, or would you expect them to converge and simplify – i.e. one piece of hardware to do everything, a unified online persona?

A: I see a form of convergence already taking place today.  Many people use a laptop, but also a tablet or smartphone to access the same information when they are mobile.  Thanks to cloud computing and the increasing inter-connectivity of software and applications there is already a lot of convergence.  For example, I have helped clients move their calendars, mail, and document collaboration to the cloud allowing them to use any device they have to access that information without duplicating documents or messages.  It is also becoming more common for a single programs to allow you to interact with Facebook, linkedin, twitter, and other social media sites.

RSS tools (like Google Reader for instance) make it easy to share information you find on any social media service, via email, or to programs like Evernote.  I think there will always be multiple services but the hardware, software and services we use will increasingly allow you to combine that information into one central place or interface.

Timezones and Communication

Q: In a global workplace, do you think working evenings and weekends – especially to communicate between different timezones, is simply the reality now?

Yes, I do feel a reality of our more global workplace is workshifting – working from different locations and times.  Smart companies will embrace this by allowing their employees greater flexibility in where and when they work.  At first you might think having to work on an evening or a weekend means you never get to unplug and are simply working more, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Many companies are embracing what they call ROWE (a Results Only Work Environment), which essentially means your work hours are much more under your control provided the work gets done (your work is measured on deliverables rather than a set number of hours you work).  With that type of philosophy, someone who needs to work during the night or on a weekend might not be working during the day so they can spend time with their family or pursue other personal development goals they have.

With the mobile tools and access to information we have today it’s possible to have a greater level or “work life integration”.  You might do a bit of work during a vacation but in turn that might be a vacation you couldn’t have taken in the past because of that work. It is a new form of “work life balance” that I think has a greater fit with the way work happens today.

24/7 Contact

Q: How can firms ensure their staff are not put under more pressure from tools that are supposed to make their lives easier?

A: Companies can discuss what are on/off times for employees and respect that time.  Just because you can send or reply to an email anytime doesn’t mean you should be expected to.  I think setting up acceptable and open communications guidelines (i.e. turnaround time for voicemail/email, what times/days are you expect to be accessible) can go a long way toward knowing when it’s OK to turn off or unplug from your mobile work tools. Granted, there may be certain times during important projects that exceptions need to be made, but it’s important for these guidelines to be setup and respected.

Digital Disruptions

Q: What can individual business people do to sort their communication technology so they are not disturbed by non-essential or untimely interruptions?

One key to managing your communication technology is knowing how to use it.  For example, with smartphones there are ways to turn off audible or visible notifications during times when you don’t want to be interrupted by them.  On a weekend, or at night, do you really need to be alerted every time a new email arrives in your inbox?  Someone else on your team might be working at that time but it doesn’t mean you need that notification right away.  Part of your communication guidelines is not only setting up expected turnaround times for different forms of communication but also a priority level.  So, for example, you might decide that voice calls are used for priority messages versus email or IM.  That allows your team members and employees to “turn off” their email or IM during non-essential times, knowing that if something really important turns up they can still be reached.

The communication guidelines need to be discussed and preferably decided on as a group.  They also need to be clear and open so that everyone understands and abides by them.

Chris: This article is seriously important to digest. There’s a lot of great stuff in here. I particularly liked Phil’s points on managing email, which I’ve gone into quite a bit of depth about before and the importance of work/life balance, too. 

One thing is for sure, the importance of technology in business isn’t going to start slow down, if anything, we’re going to be more tech-savvy and sexy than ever in the coming years. However, as business owners and entrepreneurs that are wanting to remain (or even just become!) uber successful, its important that we appreciate technology and what it can do for us, but not become bogged down (or even slowed down!) by it. Switch off for a while, peeps. Enjoy the view – wherever you may be.

My thanks to Phil for a great guest post submission, and please feel free to post your own views on the subject, along with any stories, ideas and resources that you feel are relevant to what we’re all trying to achieve in our lives.

Passive Income: 7 Membership Site Tips From A Long-Time Professional Blogger!

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This post by David Risley, is part of ‘VBL Guest Post Season 2’.

Membership sites are pretty popular in the internet business arena these days. Passive income, baby!

But, let’s leave the realm of the obvious and move into something practical. Membership sites have been my focus for some time now. I’ve learned some things in the process. The following tips are some which I will pass on to you in the hope of saving you some time.

Shall we get started? 🙂

#1 – Have a front-end offer.

One of the hard truths about membership sites is that they can be hard to sell. It is a larger psychological hurdle to surpass because of the recurring billing. This is one that I’ve run right up against.

The solution is to have some kind of front-end offer. Sell something concrete that they’ll get right away when they enroll. Make it clear that they’ll be enrolled in your membership but that they can cancel any time they want.

#2 – Consider having multiple front-end offers.

When you set up your sales funnel, consider having one core membership site which is recurring. Then, you can have multiple front-end offers out there, targeting various aspects of your niche, all with your membership site being an upsell.

So, you could have, say, 5 different products out there. All of them act as bait in the water. Of course, make each of them extremely valuable for your customer. But, all of them will be lead generators for your membership site in the upsell sequence.

#3 – Have an attractive value proposition.

The days of people signing up for membership sites simply for more content are coming to an end. We are all in information overload. In that situation, people aren’t willing to buy more information – at least in the usual form.

So, you must ask yourself: WHY would people enroll in your membership site? What are you going to do differently in there?

#4 – Think hard about implementing member forums.

The truth is that starting up forums from scratch is incredibly difficult. You really have to build up a momentum before it will work consistently for you. For many, forums become a drag. You have to be in there constantly sparking conversation. Unless you do so, it acts as negative social proof and gives your existing members the sense that they’re alone.

So, don’t have member forums unless you have a plan and know you can get people engaged in there.

#5 – Membership sites don’t have to be recurring.

A membership site makes a great way to distribute products. You can really deliver ANY information product via a membership site. Even an ebook could be downloaded from within a membership site… with some value-added bonuses exclusive to that site.

A membership site can be simple.

#6 – Sometimes lower price makes more money.

The amount of money you make depends on how long members stay enrolled. If you can get them to stick around longer with a lower price, often the math works out so that you’re actually making more money by charging them less.

#7 – Use a drip feed.

You can set up a membership site to work just like an email auto responder. Based on the date your member enrolls, they automatically get content distributed to them on a schedule.

The benefit of this is to make the site more passive for you. Create material once, new members consume it when they’re ready for it. This is much better than they getting everything at once (potentially overwhelming) and also have to constantly create new stuff.

I’ll leave you with this…

Membership sites are an awesome business model. If you have a useful offer for the right market, they’re awesome.

The above tips will hopefully save you some time as you move forward.

To get the plain-spoken truth on how to make money blogging, by visiting David’s blog at DavidRisley.com. To get weekly live video coaching, check out Dave’s InnerCircle, too! It rocks.

Get Busy: Top Tips For Choosing The Right Format For Your Web TV Show, or Podcast!

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DAVID SITEMAN GARLAND - The Rise on Top

This post by David Siteman Garland, is part of ‘VBL Guest Post Season 2’.

When it comes to building a virtual business of your dreams there are of course many routes you can go and as you probably know it is definitely not a “one size fits all” model like The Snuggie.

In my bias opinion, one of the coolest, most challenging, potentially profitable and rewarding is to create your own web show/podcast. Heck, maybe even a network of ’em.

Quick background: I’ve been creating and hosting shows since 2006 (with zero experience, training or background in broadcasting/hosting/creating shows) and have experimented with all kinds of formats, business models, topics and more.

For example, the first show I ever did was actually on traditional radio in my glorious hometown of St. Louis, Missouri called “Get Inline: Your Source For Professional Inline Hockey In St. Louis” (how about that for a freakin’ niche?) and now most people know me from my web show/podcast The Rise To The Top: The #1 Show For Mediapreneurs which has (coming up on) 250 episodes and over 300 interviews with mediapreneurs, entrepreneurs, show hosts, bloggers and other awesome people. And, because I’m possibly insane, I’ve got two more shows in the works with one focusing on health and fitness and the other on professional wrestling (seriously).

Now, there are a lot of components to creating and running a successful show including creative aspects, business model and monetizing, marketing and promoting, logistics, technology, etc. Similar to a puzzle, they all go together and missing a piece might lead to a bit of a disaster. Nobody wants a disaster, right? But perhaps one of the biggest and often overlooked questions that is SO important is choosing the correct show format that works for you, your goals and your personality.

Of course formats can change over time (nothing is set in stone in this world), but getting off the right formatting foot can be the difference of spring-boarding vs falling in the mud and swimming. Here are a few to consider, an example or two for each one and some pros and cons:

Interview Show:

What it is:

An interview show is just like it sounds. You bring on a guest or guests and you interview them.

Examples: My show The Rise To The Top , Mixergy 

This is awesome because…

-Having a conversation is often easier many people as opposed to writing out an entire scripted show.

-If the show is great, there is a BIG chance the guest(s) will help market and promote the show to their audience.

-A great way to meet to new people and expand your network of relationships (when you interview someone it is sort of like a first date and you might end up friends for life…or lovers if you are into that sort of thing.

Challenges:

-Interviewing *looks* easier than it is. Similar to all creative arts, it takes lot of practice to develop a unique style.

-Logistics can be tricky as you have to become a master scheduler (or highly recommended…hand it to virtual assistant).

-Guest selection and being able to interact with different types of personalities, egos, etc. can be challenging.

Pundit/News Show:

What it is:

Normally based on a specific topic such as politics, sports, technology etc., a pundit/news show reviews headlines and news in a specific industry or around a specific topic and also, often times, the hosts offer their opinions, commentary, agreements, disagreements, etc. Topics can be wide ranging to a show about a specific TV show to a show about the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.

Examples: TWIT (This Week In Technology), all the shows on the This Week In Network.

This is awesome because…

-There is normally plenty of content to talk about if you pick something that has consistent news i.e. sports, politics, technology, etc.

-Nothing is cooler than talking about a subject you love and you don’t have to be a complete “expert” to do a show like this. You do need to be knowledgeable, willing to learn and passionate about the subject matter but expertise will happen over time (unlike the “expert” show listed below).

-Is a nice opportunity to bring in a co-host or do a show with a friend.

Challenges:

-Keeping things fresh and sticking out from the pack. That is up to you, your creativity and personality.

-Staying consistent. If it sounds super easy to put together a show each week (or more than once a week), it isn’t. But don’t let that deter you. Realize you will get the hang of it with practice.

-If you go the co-host route, finding someone that you have great chemistry with and is reliable as you.

Q&A/Tips & Tricks/”Expert Show”

What it is:

Think about all those advice shows out there. Essentially you are the expert and you are giving advice on something specific. Examples might include relationships, finance, taking care of dogs, who knows. There are zillions of possibilities. There are many formats that work here ranging from classic “call in” shows to answering questions submitted via social media, etc.

Examples: The Podcast Answer Man , The Tech Guy

This is awesome because…

-If you are an expert in a subject matter people really need advice on, there may not be a better option.

-Q&A format allows for ENDLESS content assuming you can keep getting/finding great questions to answer.

-If you know your stuff inside and out…answering the questions and putting the show together will be like child’s play.

Challenges:

-Receiving great questions to answer when you are just starting out. You might have to “ask yourself” a few questions just to get the ball rolling.

-If you DON’T know the topic inside and out…it will show.

-Live callers/chats can present their own unique challenges (i.e. difficult people, angry people, etc.) which of course you can learn to handle.

Review Show:

What it is:

Essentially a review show is just as it sounds. You pick something and review it, discuss it, etc. Classic examples are movie review shows, but of course this can be everything from video equipment to stamps.

Examples: Wine Library TV , Freezer Burns

This is awesome because…

-You can’t really be wrong. As long as you have a strong opinion, you are in good shape.

-As long as you pick something replicable, content is easy to come by.

-Companies mind end up sending you free stuff to review. Who doesn’t love free stuff?

Challenges:

-Careful not to run out of content. If there are only 50 things to review, then you are done after 50 shows. Make sure to pick something ongoing.

-Up to you, like all formats, to make sure it doesn’t get stale.

-Must be super consistent and have a real passion for offering opinions.

What’s next?

See anything that gets you fired up? Do you point at any of the above formats and say YES! THAT IS FOR ME! If so, you might have just taken the first step in your virtual media empire.

Get started.

Do something amazing.

Do it now.

David Siteman Garland is an avid WWE wrestling fan, husband to the best wife in the world, son of two cool parents and the creator/host of Internet-based TV show, blog and resource The Rise to the Top which features conversations with web show hosts / bloggers / podcasters / other mediapreneurs, tips, tricks, advice, inspiration, resources and much more!

Top 10 ‘No BS’ Tips to Creating & Launching Your First Virtual Business! (Part 2)

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I recently published the first part of this two-part series, and was pleasantly surprised with the feedback, emails, comments and social interaction that it got. Thanks to everyone who commented or tweeted, shared, etc, etc.

In the first post we went over the initial set-up of getting ready to create and launch your first virtual business. We discussed simple, but highly required things like setting up a blog to find your own voice; the importance of building a personal brand so people can relate to you easier; engaging your growing community or tribe, as I like to call it, to make them feel welcome and appreciated, as well as asking your audience what they genuinely want to hear about from you.

I wrapped the first post up mentioning the importance of getting to work on your product / service offering sooner rather than later, with the view of tweaking it, if need be. So, today, we’ll pick up from this point and start focusing on the actual LAUNCH of that virtual business!

Let’s get going…

6. Get Your Marketing Plan Finalized

Relax. Breathe! Some people shiver at the thought of having to put something like this together. It comes easier to some, than others, I appreciate that. But, it MUST be done, people. Your marketing plan will differ from business to business. So, for the sake of this post we will zoom in on the idea of launching either an eBook, or a video course. Here’s a simple run down of a marketing plan you could follow in the weeks leading up to your launch:

  • Create a post on your blog talking about a subject related to your product (engage with audience on comments).
  • Offer, produce and record a free webinar on the subject surrounding your product (then provide a link to your list of the recording, so they can download and devour it all over again, and catch up, in case they missed it live).
  • Create another post where you follow up on the feedback you got from your webinar (engage more!).
  • Produce a video trailer for your product. These are all the rage right now, I love ’em. Check out this one from Jonathan Fields for his book ‘Uncertainty’ – easily one of the best I’ve seen.
  • Post a free chapter from your eBook, or a selection of clips from your video course to give people a taste of whats ‘inside’.
  • Launch!

See! Didn’t hurt too much, did it…!? 🙂

7. Put a Launch ‘Check List’ in Place

There is going to be a lot involved in launching your first virtual, or online business. Regardless of how great your eBook or video course is (remember, these are just examples, peeps!), there is some stuff ‘under the hood’ you’ll need to focus on, too, if you want the launch to be a successful one.

  • Get your shopping cart and payment processor sorted out (examples are e-Junkie, Digital App Delivery and Paypal).
  • Create the sales copy you will need on your landing page to be able to ‘sell’ your customers on why they should put their hands in their virtual pockets (or paypal accounts!) and part with their hard earned cash!
  • Design your landing page, or mini-site (this is where you’ll make your sales!) and test the ‘buy now’ links.
  • Be sure that follow-up emails are sent to customers with instructions on how to either download, or gain access to areas of your site that might be password protected to hide your product from the online ‘general public’.

These are just a few things. Again, based on your business model, product or service, these could change or you might have to add a few more in there, too!

8. It’s all about Customer Service

Everyone wants to be made a fuss out of, right? This is especially true when you are giving money to someone. Regardless of how much they want, or need your product or service… Your customers still deserve the absolute best customer service experience from you.

Think about it – there are lots of online products that they can purchase – but, they’re buying yours! Respect that. Embrace it. It’s the responsibility or every virtual entrepreneur to take care of their customers properly, not only so that they remain happy and content, but also to make sure that they sing from the rafters about how fantastic you AND your eBook or video course is. In the world of the social web, this couldn’t be any more important than it is right now!

9. The Launch

This is it, baby! You’ve worked hard to get to this position. You’ve created your blog, embraced your tribe, maybe even become good friends with some of them like I have here at the VBL. You’ve worked your ass off to create a killer eBook or video course, and stuck your blood, sweat and tears into the sales page to make sure it converts as much as possible.

Breathe. Hit the ‘publish’ button on that launch post, email your list, tweet and share links on your social networks and then… Sit back and relax.

10. Manage Real Time Marketing

You can’t relax for long, sorry!!!

Your launch day is THE day on your products calendar. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Social media plays a huge part in any product launch online nowadays. The importance of ‘being there’ is just as huge as your fantastic product or service itself. In fact, the importance of real time marketing has become such a big issue that David Meerman Scott recently brought a book on the subject!

Monitoring Twitter, Facebook and Google+ for people talking about your launch and product is massively important. Get involved and as always, embrace your tribe (regardless of what they are saying!), helping them, inspiring them and motivating them to buy what you are now offering. But, remember… Just because they don’t buy today, doesn’t mean that they won’t buy tomorrow. Or next week. Or next month. So, be nice! 🙂

Conclusion

So, that wraps up this two-part post series. If you’re in the process of launching, or thinking of launching a virtual business, online product, etc., then I hope the content here helped you out a little bit, and perhaps even acted as a bit of a guiding light, so to speak.

The fact of the matter is, however, as long as you create something that a) people need, and b) is of massively high value, then you should be alright. Remember, there is only one YOU. This means your experiences and your opinions count to the people who have decided to follow you online. That personal branding is starting to pay off, isn’t it…!

I told you so… 🙂

Have you recently launched an online product for the first time? How did it go? Any lessons learned? Any tips to share? Please be kind and comment for the rest of the VBL Tribe below…

Why? Because you guys ROCK!

How to Embrace Skype to be a True-Blue, Mobile Entrepreneur!

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Skype Mobile

This is a Guest Post from Phil Montero

Creating an effective virtual or mobile office is not as easy as choosing one service or “software” that makes your business mobile.  It requires choosing different services to handle your needs and finding ways to integrate them into your workflow.

Phone, mail, fax, online document storage, sharing large files with co-workers or clients, – All of these are decisions that affect how virtual your business can be. When you find one tool that can address several of these and does them really well – that is a huge plus! Skype is just such a program and I can’t imagine running my anywhere office without it. If you’re a mobile worker, location independent professional, or run a virtual office – Skype should be at the top of your toolbox.

Why does Skype rock? If you think Skype is just an audio or video chat program – you’re wrong.  Skype can handle the bulk of your communication and collaboration needs. I’m constantly amazed at how many ways Skype has improved my workflow and remote collaboration.

To use Skype to it’s fullest you will need a microphone and webcam – but amost any recently purchased laptop (as of the last few years) should already have these built-in. If your system doesn’t have these you can purchase a good USB mic/headset and a webcam for under $200. When you see how much money Skype can save you – that ‘s short money.

Oh Skype how I love thee – lets count the ways..!

Hi-Quality Audio Conferencing

Originally Skype’s key feature and still what it is best known for – it is an excellent VOIP service for hi-quality audio conferecing.  Audio calls are Free if you are using Skype-to-Skype while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a low per minute fee using a debit-based user account system. The call quality of a Skype-to-Skype call is actually superior than a landline or mobile phone. The tone and call quality is much richer.

Because skype-to-skype calls are free you can talk internationally at no cost. Talk about a way to save your business money!  You can also have Skype audio conferences with up to 25 people.  No need for a conference call system (even though there are some good free ones available).  This makes it easy for your communication to escalate naturally from a one-on-one text chat, to a voice call, to a conference call all without leaving your computer or touching the phone.

They also sell very affordable subscriptions for unlimited outgoing calling to phones as well as the ability fo your to get a Skype-In number which gives you a phone number you can use for peope with phones to call you on skype (then you can answer from your computer). You can even get features like call fwding (so your cell phone rings when you are away from your computer to take the call) and voicemail. Many people have started using Skype as their primary business line (I choose Gogle Voice but that is a story for another article).

Instant Messenger

A good instant messenger program is key to virtual work. It can serve as a water cooler, brainstorming platform, and your quick connection to co-workers, colleagues, and clients. IM is a great tool for having an impromptu meeting, sending along a URL, or quickly getting questions answered. You can easily escalate a text chat from one-on-one to a multi-person discussion/forum so it’s easy to have a virtual meeting.

Unlike email everyone sees the messages simultaneously that are typed and can respond so it allows for a more real time flow of conversation.

Also the ability to save entire discussions as text files or copy and paste them into a document to save the conversation can be invaluable.

Share Large Files

There are lots of great services available to let you share large files with others – but the ability to do it through an IM chat makes it seemless.  Need to get that report to a client quickly?  Need to send someone a large video file that would choke their email?  You can easily do it through Skype. According to their site you can send files of any size.

Great One-to-One Video Chat

To me one of the most essential part of Skype is the ability to have one-to-one video chats. Thanks to Skype anyone with a computer and hi-speed internet connection can have desktop video conferencing with quality and features, e.g., full-screen and screen-in-screen modes, similar to those of mid-range videoconferencing systems.

I’ve tried just about every video chat system out there and tested video in all of the various IM systems (Yahoo Messenger, AIM, MSN, etc.) and Skype beats then all hands down. I can’t speak enough about how powerful it is to use video instead of just audio in your communication with remote colleagues. Video adds richness through body language, seeing someones surroundings, and the ability to literally hold something up for the other person to see on camera. It acts as virtual face time and adds so much to the conversation.

Thanks to Twitter I’ve met some amazing people from all over the world and when we take those conversations to the next level we almost always use a Skype video chat.

In fact it’s thanks to Skype video chat that I have become good friends with your fearless VBL Leader – Mr. Chris Ducker.

Shortly after we met on Twitter we started having video Skype chats. We joked about each others hair lines, shared our martial arts statues (he has an awesome Bruce Lee one, that his wife gave him and I have a great Shaolin Monk I got in China Town on a trip to New York). We saw each others families, and offices. In no time we felt like we had known each other for some times despite never having met face-to-face in person –  although we plan to remedy that soon as we share a few beers and a blues jam!

[Note from Chris – Amen to that, brotha!]

Skype recently added a feature I’ve been waiting for  multi-person video chat.  It’s a paid feature and supports up to 6 people. I only tried it once so far but I wasn’t impressed. I was on a 3 person video chat recently – performance was poor and it seemed glitchy. To be completely fair it was only one test and I’ll try it a few more times before passing my final judgment.

Share Your Screen

This amazing feature of Skype is probably it’s least known benefit but another one I use all the time.  With a few clicks you can share your whole screen or a specific window with the other person on the call.  You can screen share a presentation over a call, show friends and family photos without having to send them – even demo an application.

Being a tech guy I get asked a lot of “how-to” questions. I often find myself switching to  screen share during a call to show someone how to do something. So much quicker and easier! If a picture is worth a thousand words – what’s a screen share worth?

Mobile Apps for Smartphones

With apps that run on the 3 main smartphone platforms (Blackberry, Android, and iPhone) all the advantages of skype audio/text chat are mobile! You can actually make FREE calls to other skype users using your cellphone that won’t count toward your mobile minutes or incure extra charges if you’re talking internationally. You can also continue text chats while on the go.

If you have an iPhone – there is a bigger bonus, you also get video! I recently got an iPhone 4 on Verizon and was really excited to test the built in FaceTime application from Apple. It works great but it’s downside is that it only works on WiFi (not 3G) and only allows you to video chat with other FaceTime users.  That leaves me with a rather small pool of friends or colleagues with iPhones or Macs.

Skype for the iPhone recently added video chat and I was amazed when I found it worked on both 3G and WiFi. That means I can now video chat from my phone to any of Skypes over 560 million users. That means if I’m travelling away from my family I can easily video chat with my wife and son to say howdy or good night no matter where I am right from my phone. The Jetsons don’t have nothin’ on me (well except the flying car)!

With a laptop or smartphone all of the communication and collaboration potential Skype offers is completely mobile. Truly amazing! In an era where it takes a lot of different programs to mobilize your work – one tool that can do so much is extreme valuable.

Of all the free and low-cost tools tool I recommend for people to run their businesses online and be more mobile Skype is always near the top of the list.

Phil is about as rock solid as it gets when it comes to technology on the move. Check out his awesome blog, and follow him on Twitter to be ‘in the know’!

How are you utilizing Skype in your business? Any cool stories? And, what other virtual tools are you utilizing to make yourself more mobile..?

How to Setup a Super-Mobile Infrastructure!

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Super Mobility

This is a Guest Post by Tony Ruiz.

What is mobility? By definition, mobility is the ability to move or be moved freely and easily. With the internet, mobility has allowed individuals to take their work anywhere. It’s ultimately what the virtual business lifestyle is all about, packing up within 4 hours notice and knowing you have access to your work as long as a secure wi-fi connection is nearby.

Becoming mobile is nothing to be intimated by, it’s actually fairly simple, especially with the technology we have access too. The sooner you can set yourself up for mobility the better. All it takes is having the right mindset and having the correct infrastructure in place. Most of the tools I’m going mention in this article have already been discussed within the VBL community but it’s one thing to know what tools to use and another thing to know how to actually implement them.

I’m going to show you some of the best tools online to use, why you should use them, and how to combined them together to work seamlessly. Sounds good? Great but first lets discuss…the mindset.

The Mobile Mindset

Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change. -Jim Rohn

Lets start with this, to become a mobile entrepreneur you must change your mindset to think in a way certain way. All cloud based tools are now your best friend. Ask yourself this question whenever using an application, saving a file, or working on a project. “Can I access this from a library computer?” In other words, can you access your work files from a computer you don’t own?

If not, you need to think about how you can. If you use thumb-drives to save and access documents use them only to backup documents now. You’ll discover in this post why you no longer need to depend on thumb-drives. I can’t count how many time I lost a thumb-drive that was attached to my keys. I learned the hard way and if I ever lost one now, it won’t be the end of the world.

Just remember, if it’s in the cloud (can be accessed online) it’s your friend. Everything else is used for back-up purposes.

The Tools (aka Weapons of Mobility)

Assuming you already own a laptop and perhaps a smartphone or tablet I’m going to be talking about web-bassed applications you’ll be able to use to help enhance your mobile lifestyle. Keep in mind, you can use any tools you come across – and please leave some of your favorite tools in the comments below if you don’t see them here. I’m simply going to show you the tools I would recommend to anyone making the switch to super-mobility. The idea is to understand how you can create your own super-mobile infrastructure by seeing how I setup mine. Feel free to plug and play, however the framework still applies.

The Browser

Lets start with your Internet browser. I prefer using the Firefox browser by default, however the Google Chrome browser is getting fairly popular now and some prefer the Safari browser. Use one of the three browsers mentioned above, you’ll make your like a whole lot easier. When it comes to using a browser you want to make sure you have one very important plugin installed – it’s called Delicious. Delicious is a popular social bookmarking tool that allows you to save your bookmarks in the cloud (online). Before installing the plugin make sure you have an account by signing up here.

To install the Delicious plugin for the Firefox browser click here. To install the Delicious plugin for the Safari browser click here. To install the Delicious plugin for the Chrome browser click here.

Every website I bookmark for future reference is bookmarked through delicious. Since it is a social bookmarking website all your bookmarks are available to the public by default. I just mark my bookmarks private since most my bookmarks are for my personal reference. I also export my delicious bookmarks time to time so I have a backup file.

Having your bookmarks on delicious (marked as private) acts just as if you would bookmark items on your browser. Instead now you can access bookmarked sites anywhere. It’s a wonderful thing!

Practice getting in the habit of bookmarking websites via delicious instead of your browsers bookmarking folders.

NOTE: Firefox just came out with the Firefox 4 update and the delicious plugin is not fully compatible with Firefox 4 yet. I’m personally not updating to Firefox 4 till the delicious becomes compatible.

Saving Files and Documents in the Cloud

It is no secret that Dropbox is Chris’s favorite web-based application. Dropbox is my personal favorite when it comes to saving files and documents online too. For those of you that don’t know what Dropbox is, it’s a website that syncs your files online and to any computer connected to your account (it’s free to get stated). To learn more watch the demo video here.

I have my iMac, MacBook, and iPhone connected to my Dropbox account (Yes, you can also connect a PC to your Dropbox account).

When you signup for Dropbox they start you off with 2 GB of free space and they also give you the opportunity to earn more space without upgrading to their premium packages.

BONUS: You can earn additional space by clicking the “Get Started” tab in your dropbox account, referring college friends with an .edu email, referring friends through a referral link, and by connecting to your social media accounts. I have 5 GB+ just by using these methods. But if you want to get serious just upgrade to a premium package.

The whole purpose of using Dropbox is getting in the mindset of saving your files online. For example I wrote this article both on my iMac and MacBook because I have Dropbox folders connected to each of them, if I wanted too I could have accessed the file on a computer thats not connected with my Dropbox account by going to Dropbox.com, logging into my account, and clicking on my file through their simple to use interface.

All in all applications like Dropbox give you true mobility, so get in the habit of saving all you projects via Dropbox to give you full access of your work files.

Goodbye Notebook, Hello Evernote (Plus a Killer Outsourcing Tip)

Evernote is a fantastic web-based application that I use for taking notes. I take notes with Evernote on my iPhone and access my notes anywhere on my computer.

A great feature built into Evernote is “Clipping.” You can use clipping to take screenshots of an entire page or even screenshots of a specific part of a page, which is one of my favorite features. Say you stumble on a website that has a feature design you would like to implement for one of your projects one day. Just simply clip the specific image and use it for reference in the future. You can also send it to your designer or developer so they have a clear idea of what you want.

Use Evernote for most of your note taking, but try not to forget that a good old fashion pen and paper can still be used time to time.

Google Applications

Gmail: I think it’s safe to say that Gmail is email on steroids, I mean it’s an email client that has a chat function built into it. The great thing about gmail is it gives you the ability to handle multiple emails within one account (even non gmail accounts).

Google Calender: I like to keep my Google calender as my browser’s home screen. I literally set all my important events and deadlines on my Google calender to remind me what is due or when a deadline is approaching. Google calender even syncs with the iPhone and selected Smartphones which is great when you setup reminders.

Here’s a solid overview of the entire Infrastructure. Download PDF Version.

You’re Now Mobile

Congratulations! You have now set yourself up for super-mobility. It only get better from here. If you at least followed the framework you’ll notice new gears shifting in your head. Also, always be thinking about how you can access your business online by leveraging web-based applications. You never know when you’ll need to access your work on the go.

Tony Ruiz is the founder of VentureMixx, an exclusive newsletter focused on business development and personal growth strategies. You can learn more about him by visiting his site and subscribing.

Becoming Highly Productive – Working in the Zone!

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Productivity Zone

This is a Guest Post by Ian McConnell.

I’ve just had one of those days where everything just fell into place. I was completely in the zone. Task after task got completed effortlessly. Stuff was just falling into place, things were going right and everything just got done. I even completed 4 extra tasks that I hadn’t planned to do today. It’s a great feeling, but I have come to realize that some people struggle to find this zone and don’t enjoy as many of these highly productive days as they should.

It seems that it is more common to have days where small things go wrong and disrupt the day. The computer decides to do an update when it starts up, the browser is slow and unresponsive, the password program can’t find the password that was saved yesterday, etc. Most of these small problems are unavoidable 100% of the time. But, if you are trying to manage your time and tick off the items on a lengthy to-do list, these small problems will undoubtedly add frustration and stress to the mix.

So, how do you get in the zone more often?

I’ll tell you how I did it.

1)      I threw out my to-do list.

2)      I deleted my time management system which was my Google calendar

Yes, I deleted every repeating task in my Google calendar. These were repeating tasks like write an article on Monday at 9am to be finished and submitted to the article directories by 10.30am. Monday 10.45am to 12noon scan the warrior forum for people I could help out. 1pm to 4pm create new Insiders Club content and so on. I had booked up nearly every minute of my 8 hour working day, with a task for the rest of my life. That was thanks to the power of repeating tasks that never end in digital calendars. It felt good when I initially set up all these weekly tasks. I felt organized. But, after a few weeks of trying to stick to my time management plan, I knew it wasn’t going to work.

Are you sometimes in the right mindset when doing your tasks?

9am Monday would come around and my calendar said I should be writing an article. But, I just wasn’t in the right mindset or zone to write an article. I would force the issue, thinking I needed to be disciplined and get this article done. The article would then take 2 hours (or more) to write and I had scheduled an hour to write it and half an hour to submit it. I then had to adjust my schedule for the rest of the day and usually something didn’t get done at the end of the day, or it got rolled over to the next day. This then compounded the problem the next day.

Not all daily tasks could be accomplished as written on your to-do list.

However, I did notice that on some days at different times I was finding the article writing zone. It just seemed to flow and the article writing was so much easier. But, those times tended to vary. By moving that task to a different day or time slot would work one week but not the next. It seemed like just knowing that task had to be completed put me in the wrong mindset.

I needed a system that was much more flexible and took into account what I actually felt like doing. A system where I worked in the zone 80% of the time instead of 20% of the time. You may be thinking that’s just a lack of discipline. I should have got a timer out and forced myself to get the article done… I tried and it didn’t work. I would get the article done but days later would go and adjust it because the quality just wasn’t good enough.

I tried outsourcing the articles but ended up rewriting them because this material had to be in my voice. Outsourcing articles works great for my niche sites, but not for my personal blog. I had to do the writing so people experienced the real me. Then one day I heard Tony Robbins talk about chunking. Chunking is where you group tasks together which when completed will produce a specific result.

Get rid of to-do lists and go to chunk……

An example of a weekly chunk with a specific result is “Build a list of 1,000 subscribers”. There are no to-do lists or scheduled tasks. Just the chunk, that needs to be completed by the end of the week. I tried it and it worked very well for me.

Here is how I apply it:

I review my monthly goals on a Saturday afternoon and then I create 3 chunks. Saturday afternoon suits me because I’ve had a morning away from the business and I’m usually more relaxed. I create 3 result based chunks which must be completed by the end of the next week. I write these chunks on a post it note and attach it to my computer monitor. It’s a quick and easy system, but as I relax on Sunday it’s amazing how some great ideas pop into my head. On Monday morning I always start the day off, like most week days, with a 40 to 60 minute walk. On the walk is when I contemplate which chunk I’ll start with and what tasks I’ll complete that day.

After a shower and breakfast I’m ready to get to work. My mindset is in the right place, my body is energized and I usually start with the easy tasks, or the ones I know I can knock over quickly, because that builds momentum for the tasks that are not so exciting. I found that by removing the long to-do lists and strict time management it eliminated the overwhelm and has allowed me to be flexible with my days. I also don’t check emails until I have completed what I wanted to do for the day.

I don’t have a start and end time for work!

I start the day and if I’m in the zone I milk it for everything it’s got. If it’s one of those days where small things are going wrong and I struggle to get in the zone I’ll read a book, watch the latest launch video, grab a coffee and try again in an hour or two. As an entrepreneur I believe I have to be flexible. I’m a player in a game and have to be constantly looking for the 20% of my efforts that are working and work more on those. Sometimes a rigid time management system doesn’t work. You may feel like you are busy, but you are busy with the wrong things.

Ian McConnell is a regular VBL reader and supporter. He’s built a full time income online in the last 3 years. Check him out at https://inmyhomeoffice.com, where you’ll also find links to him on Twitter and Facebook!

3 Success Traits Underrepresented in the Business Blogosphere!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAWPfUzdbq0

Chris: Today I am very excited to feature the first of hopefully a long, long line of posts here at the VBL Blog by our first ever ‘Regular Contributor’, Dan Andrews. Dan and I have been friends for a while and have many things in common. The strongest trait for me, by far, is our mutual love for entrepreneurship. So, over to you, Dan!

Along with todays video, which focuses on the 3 success traits for entrepreneurs that I feel are underrepresented in the business blogosphere, I’ve included some further reading if you are interested in some of these ideas:

Ambition

Discipline

Teaming Building

  • Maverick by Ricardo Semler. I won’t suggest another because you need to read this book. Seriously.

Chris: If you feel you could contribute 2-3 quality posts to the VBL Community each month and would like to be considered as a ‘Regular Contributor’, please contact me with your proposal. Please note, that there are no more ‘guest post’ spots open, and that all Regular Contributor content MUST be related to the VBL Core4 concepts of Entrepreneurship, Passive Income, Outsourcing and Mobility.

Comments below for Dan, as mentioned in his video…!

Parenting: The One Job You Can’t Outsource!

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The One Job You Can't Outsource!

This week’s Guest Post comes to you courtesy of Rachel Denning.

While creating your Virtual Lifestyle, one objective is to outsource as many jobs as possible, leaving you the time to focus on your ‘key’ role, the thing that is your talent, the contribution that people are willing to pay you for.

When it comes to your personal life, there are a lot of ‘jobs’ that you can outsource, or eliminate, as well- such as mowing the lawn, checking email, walking the dog, or washing the car – leaving you with more free time to spend doing the things you enjoy.

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