Benjamin Franklin recommended that you build an App. Well, sort of. “Time is money,” Mr. Franklin advised, in his pamphlet Advice to a Young Tradesman, Written by an Old One. You’ve probably heard this thought on the value of time before? Perhaps, in a way, Ben’s ponderings from 1748 are applicable today in a, well, application he never could have predicted. 265 years later, our lives are extremely fast-paced. While Ben Franklin discussed the value of hours and days, we look at mere seconds and see dollar signs. Simply put, no one can afford to wait anymore. We’re all getting used to the availability of instant information. As a business owner, if you know that your clients appreciate streamlined, highly informative content available rapidly, then you can keep them happy by providing information that is always accessible. Unfortunately, a nice website (and even a mobi...
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Before you put your fingers to the keyboard to start creating that profile, you should think through the main purpose of your profile. What is your main purpose and how would a LinkedIn profile specifically help you accomplish your goals? What audience are you trying to reach? Thinking through these foundational questions will help you accomplish your goals and develop a successful LinkedIn strategy. 11 tips for creating a successful profile: Grab your personal url and add that to your e-mail signature. Here's some steps to doing that: http://www.handshake20.com/linkedin.html Make sure you have listed your correct website and e-mail address (use your corporate account). Add links to your twitter account and company blog (if applicable) LinkedIn recommends the following strategy as you think through your profile's headline (the section that appears at the top of your p...
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In our home, we love watching the Olympics. Our eyes were glued to the screen in amazement as we watched feats of skill, courage, and determination that worked to inspire us all. We marveled at the height the gymnasts got on their tumbling runs, the speed at which the swimmers glided from one side of the pool to the other, and the fact that it's possible to drop a 300 lb. barbell on yourself and still walk away unscathed (yes, that really happened >). We also couldn't help but be mesmerized and talk about the bright yellow feet that were flying at breakneck speeds across finish lines whenever track and field events were shown. Yes, we couldn't help but notice Nike's grand marketing scheme and notice those bright yellow-green sneakers every time they appeared on the screen. Just like Michael Johnson's golden shoes in the 1996 Atlanta games, Nike won the attention of th...
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When I first learned of Pinterest, I had little interest in it. Another social networking website? No way - I already wasted enough time on Facebook; I wasn't interested in joining another social outlet. However, I eventually found myself suckered in and clicking around on the website. When I began to think of Pinterest as not only fun but resourceful, I was sold. I am a pretty average Pinterest user: 25 (ages 25-34 make up the largest percentage of users), middle class, bachelor's degree ('some' college is the highest percentage of users at 60%, which makes me think that many of the users are still in college), and oh - yeah... female! (Women make up 80% of the user database). I use Pinterest to plan weekly menus (with my husband hanging over my shoulder giving his recommendations by pointing to photos of bacon-this-or-that), to learn how to take care of my young gar...
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