You know that little thing called “social media”?  Use it!  My pal Les linked to this great story about how to build a fan base on facebook for your business.  The first rule? Ask people to like you:

Give them a reason why. In our case, Weekly World News has plenty of entertaining content about aliens, Michael Jackson, Elvis, you name it. We tried capitalizing the word “LIKE”, writing short versus long copy, testing dozens of images, and trying out different interest targets. Don’t make it complex– keep the language casual, as if a friend was telling you about something cool.

Read the whole article! Great advice!

Okay, I have to come clean.  I’m partial to the laptop. 

Two years ago, we purchased the laptop for my husband to use while he’s mobile.  That never really happened, so we’ve had two home computers, the desktop and the laptop.  I’ve remained fairly partial to my trusty desktop until it’s recent virus. 

I’ve used the laptop for a few weeks now.  Saturday, my two-year-old decided to see what would happen when his fruit drink was poured into the expensive “toy”.  The hard drive is fried.  So, until we locate the system setup disc, we’re back to the desktop.  And I am realizing how much I took advantage of the convenience of my laptop friend!  Here I sit, facing the wall, working…while my husband is watching television, and talking on the phone.  I feel like I’m in time out!  At one point during our solitary laptop use, I was working in the passenger seat of the car while my husband was driving! 

So, while my desktop remains my friend (my only one right now), I do see myself converting sometime in the near future.  It’s all about the convenience.  And I miss it!

Photo by Arbron via Flickr Creative Commons.

Perhaps the reason I still have my very UNcomplicated cheapo flip phone!!!

Did you know that your computer mouse can become “infected” with the same virus that “sickens” your computer?  I found out the hard way.  Last week our desktop acquired a virus, and we have been unable to use the computer since.  As a favor, since I’m not at all fond of the “schmancy” mouse my husband purchased for the laptop, he took the mouse from the desktop and traded them out.  Little did we know we were giving our laptop the virus! 

 I was stunned when my friend Kathy  wouldn’t use her mouse to fix my laptop because she didn’t want it to get “infected”.  Immediately it clicked (no pun intended) that we had spread the virus ourselves! Evidently, since they operate under the same system, they contract the same viruses.  WHO KNEW???  Okay, maybe many of you…but I’ve mentioned my tidbit of knowledge of the day to several people who had no idea! 

So, the next time your computer gets a virus, put it and it’s mouse in quarantine…or you may start an epidemic! 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/3608025579/

One of the hardest things about working from home is the fact that there are so many distractions. And, of course, no matter where you work, your computer is an endless source of distractions. You can help cut down on distractions when working from home if you try to have a set time to work (preferably when the kids are at school or down for a nap), and by having a dedicated space for your home office.

But what can you do about distractions on your computer? Freelance Folder offers some insight into freelance writing tools that can help you increase your productivity, many of them by making adjustments to your screen so that you can only see what you are typing, or that limits you to accessing one application at a time.

1. WriteMonkey (Windows)
2. WriteRoom (Mac)
3. Dark Room (Windows)
4. Think (Mac)

You can also use something called RescueTime that tracks the type of web browsing that you do, logging your visits and helping you pinpoint the biggest time wasters. Then you can focus for a certain amount of time, while RescueTime blocks out the distracting sites.

These are interesting productivity tools, and they can help your reduce distractions and get more done.

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for ways to increase your productivity when it comes to your home business. The good news is that there are plenty of technological boosts that can help you improve your productivity. Wisebread offers these suggestions to technology that can help you look for better productivity in the new year:

1. Snag It: This helps you keep track of media in which your business is mentioned.

2. Wireless all-in-one printers: Print from any device with a wireless printer. Make it all-in-one, and you can copy and fax as well.

3. Social Oomph: Boost your Twitter presence by scheduling tweets, tracking, URL shortening and other features.

4. FreshBooks: Manage invoices and billing with FreshBooks. You can integrate FreshBooks into your system, and use the professional looking presentation to sharpen your image.

5. picnik: This helps you turn your photos and other graphics into attractive buttons, avatars and profile pictures.

6. Future Email Services: There are email services that will send you emails to yourself at a future date. If you want a reminder delivered on time, schedule it to be sent when you need it, and you can see it when it does you the most good.

7. Power Pack: Energizer makes a light, easy to carry power pack to recharge your cell phone. This can help you avoid the problems that come with a dying cell phone.

Some of the items on this list can be costly, and some of them, like Snag It and Social Oomph, seem a little superfluous. I find that the printer, FreshBooks and power pack appear to be the most useful items for home business productivity. If you are looking for some ways to boost productivity and you aren’t sure where to start, these ideas can help.

Good luck to your home business in the new year!

As the end of the year approaches, it’s time to start thinking about home business tax deductions. And one of the things you can deduct is your home business Internet use.

For many people who work from home, the Internet is a lifeline. However, it costs money to get a fast, reliable Internet connection. The good news is that you can deduct some of your expenses. Many people don’t want to get a separate Internet service for the home office, and that is okay. You can actually deduct a portion of your Internet costs.

Figure up how much you use each month for Internet, and then take a percentage of that. For example, 85% of the Internet usage in my home is for my business. We pay about $28.81 for Internet, what with access fees and equipment rental. So, I multiply .85 by $28.81 and end up with $24.49. For 12 months, that’s $293.88 that is eligible for deduction. This amount should be added up with other home business expenses. It should be part of the P&L statement you have if you are a business, or added on Schedule C if you are a sole proprietorship.

And, of course, since I am not a tax professional, it is a good idea to double check things with a tax professional or with the IRS.

This commercial had me in stitches. I’m not the best gift-giver in the world, so I can relate to this. Of course, I bet Peyton Manning is a much better gift-giver in real life…

Happy Friday!

I was never a huge fan of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I watched it a couple of times with my family when it first came out, and I had no idea that it was still on. Anyway, I thought I’d share this from the show. Apparently, the pressure can get to you when answering even the easiest question.

Do you know the answer to this question?

Happy Friday!

You’ve probably heard about how Twitter can be a great tool. And it can. It’s a good way to spread the word about a particularly interesting post. (Or to regularly update via some sort of something like Twitterfeed.) Easton at Visionary Blogging sent some helpful Twitter tips for increasing traffic to your web site. Here are 3 ideas that I especially liked:

1. Place Twitter buttons on your articles.

2. Share original in your tweets, not just RTs of other people’s stuff.

3. Share useful links to your web site regularly.

Of course, there is such a thing as overkill, and you want to be careful. No-one likes Twitter spam. But you can use moderation and share helpful tweets and interesting posts from your home business blog. And find new followers and maybe get a little extra traffic.