If you’re using Google Plus, you’ve probably heard about the controversy over Google’s “real name policy.” In the interest of transparency I’ll tell you that I have some very big problems with this policy, Google’s flip-flopping about what “real names” mean, and Eric Schmidt’s recent foot-in-mouth comments on the matter. And yes, I do use my real name on the network.

But I don’t want to talk (yet again) about why the real name policy is a terrible idea or why others think it’s great and going to lend some sort of greater credibility to the network. Instead I want to talk about the business of it all.

More importantly I want to talk about how this policy could have both good and bad repercussions for Google and businesses hoping to leverage this “identity service.”

How Eliminating Anonymity is Good Business for Google

Let’s face it. We all know Google is in the information business. They gather it. They find ways to monetize it. We, and the information Google can gather about us, are in essence the products they sell to advertisers. The more they know about their users, the more targeted ads can be, and the more valuable your eyes on an ad become. Cha-ching!

In this sense the real name policy is smart business for Google. The more information they can provide about their users, the more they can rake in from advertisers and the more they can tailor other services to your habits and interests to keep you on their site.

The Business Risks of the Google Plus Real Name Policy

On the other side, the real name policy could do some serious damage to Google’s best attempt in the social media game yet. I loved the concept of Google Plus from the start. They got some things right on the privacy front (Circles being a great example). We had control over everything we shared. But then they took control of our identities. In the end, it’s tough to have things both ways.

Google is already alienating some of their early users, myself included. It isn’t just that there are good reasons to use names other than our “real” ones. It’s the way Google still seems oblivious about how the social Web works. Platforms are created for the users — not the other way around.

If Google yet again shows people they aren’t prepared to give users what they want in a social platform, they’re going to devalue their own “product” early in the game. We won’t share all of the information they (and their advertisers) want or need. We won’t trade our time on one social media tool for Google Plus. And if they push G+ users hard enough, they risk pushing them away from other Google products as well.

After all, if you tell users they aren’t welcome to be who they are in this social context, why would they want to waste time with you in any other sense? They’ll move on. There are other search engines, other feed readers, other email providers (or means of checking Gmail accounts), and there are certainly other social networking platforms.

If Google does anything with this policy of exclusion, it might be to remind their users that all of these other options exist. That’s a risk they took when they chose to tie our beloved Google tools to this new identity service.

Personally, I hope the folks at Google get a clue before it’s too late (or at least change their tone on the subject). I’m a big fan of the platform itself, and I find some of the best conversations in my network happen within Google Plus.

Yet I’ve seen those conversations become shallower and more promotional in nature as colleagues and friends leave or cut back on information and opinions they’re willing to share. That’s even true of those already using their real names.

That’s just what I’m seeing in my own Google Plus network. Have you noticed any changes in yours recently? Whether you’re for or against the real name policy, how do you see it helping or hurting Google’s position in social media? Are they doing what’s best for their advertisers and their own business, or do you think they might be doing more harm than good? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo: BigStockPhoto.com

Business cards are a very effective way for clients and potential clients to keep essential information regarding your business close at hand. Many, however, are discarded without a second thought. How can you make sure yours is a successful element to your company?

When placed improperly, business cards lose their effectiveness immediately. Some people strive to give their card to everyone they meet, however brief the discussion. This may seem like a great way to spread a company’s name. If the cards are given to people that are not truly interested, the cards will be wasted along with the time and resources spent producing the cards. If you would like your card to help expand your business it needs to be a positive visual reminder of you and your company. The demeanor that your card is presented is a representation of your company. What will a future customer think when they see your card? Will they remember feeling pushed or obligated to take it? A negative feeling associated with your business downplays your products or services, despite their quality. Rather than offer a card to everyone without discretion, use tactfulness. First, ask the person for their business card. Take the time to read their card rather than quickly setting it in your pocket or wallet. Give their card the same attention and respect you would like your card to receive. After you have thoroughly read it, ask them a question or two about the information listed. It may be about their product, service or even location. This will start a conversation that is natural, leaving a better impression. Often they will ask for your card and might ask a few questions. By offering your business card in this manner, the prospective client will remember the conversation they had rather than a feeling of obligation or pushiness.

There are opportunities to place your card effectively with someone who has not asked for one. Such appropriate situations include the inside of hand-written thank you notes, attached to a requested brochure or catalog and nearly anytime literature regarding your company is requested.

Leaving a positive impression along with a business card is not the only factor in successful cards. The design of your card also reflects the company. A basic card design is easily lost and forgotten next to more modern custom business cards. A card does not need to brightly colored and excessively flashy to catch attention. Simple upgrades from the basic business card can enhance its effectiveness. A catchy slogan, textured print and quality printing can upgrade a boring card to memorable. By using features such as raised print or textured card stock, the sense of touch is utilized, leaving a deeper impression with the card holder.

For business owners looking to make a bolder statement, there are thousands of designs available to create a unique business card. Bold colors, patterns and textures create an unforgettable ‘pocket-sized billboard’ for your business. Some companies have successfully made use of turning their business cards in magnets, developing a product both useful to the customer and promotional for the business. Certainly, advances in technology allow for cards to truly be one of a kind.

It is important for anyone willing to drive a successful business to remember the basics behind business cards. The design chosen for your card and a tactful placement can mean the difference between a business card in the trash and profit for your business.

Two years ago, Pikalevo, a small Russian town near St. Peters Berg, set off something that Russia had not witnessed previously. The people of Pikalevo took to the streets in protest against the closing of the industries that supported this small town. This ‘unrest’ signaled the beginning of an unusual phenomenon for modern Russia; people protesting against the government and its economic policies.

Russian president Vladimir Putin had to personally intervene to calm down the situation by personally visiting this small town of 21,000 people and by having the involved company’s CEO pay £830,000 in outstanding wages to the workers within 24 hours. The Pikalevo revolt instilled a fear of mass protests in the heart of the government which proved to be true when other Russian towns also engaged in protests later that year. Many more towns like Pikalevo are at risk because of their dependency on one single industry, which if shut down can wipe out the whole town.

“The town only exists because of this plant. So if it goes down, then the town will be lost and there will be looting and fighting in the streets,” said a worker who was laid-off from the aluminum factory in Pikalevo.

Now, two years later, the Russian capital is witnessing the Pikalevo effect. Workers of the Trekhgornaya Manufaktura are protesting against the loss of dozens of jobs and once again they are looking to Putin to come to the rescue. These are not isolated incidents involving disgruntled jobless people; instead these incidents are fragments of a larger picture. The common link between these two incidents and several others like these in other small towns is one person. This man has interests in various industries which have made him one of the world’s wealthiest men, but unfortunately this good fortune does not trickle down to the people who have poured their blood and sweat to create this wealth.

The economic meltdown underway in town after town in Russia is a result of the effects of this man’s reckless disregard for his workers’ well-being and poor financial management of his business empire. The mysterious death of Yuri Smolentsev, Trade Union Chair at the Alumina Plant – part of The United Company Rusal, added more fuel to the public sentiments against the man behind Rusal and Basic Element.

Basic Element is an investment company in Russia that has assets in energy, manufacturing, financial services, construction and aviation. It owns major companies like United Company RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminum and alumina producer; GAZ Group automotive company, Ingosstrakh, Russia’s oldest insurance company; Bank SOYUZ, Aviakor aircraft manufacturer; EuroSibEnergo, Russian-Asian Investment Company; and Glavmosstroy, a planning and construction company. Basic Element employs about 250,000 people. Many of these 250,000 people are fearful about their future because of the misguided actions of their employer.

The crises like Pikalevo and Trekhgornaya Manufaktura have not threatened the government the way it was initially feared. However, the unprecedented reactions of the people definitely call for reigning in oligarchies like Basic Element that have the power to play with the fate of hundreds of thousands of people.

Note: This is a Guest post by Dimitry. A journalist working for the betterment for Russia

Creative Design

Facebook is known for its uniformity. You can post different content, pictures, and multimedia, but the basic design is the same on each page. Now with Static FBML (Facebook markup language) businesses can create their own custom landing pages. This is important because where searchers land will influence whether they click “like.”

A custom landing page can look more like a mini website inside of Facebook rather than the wall or newsfeed. There are a quite a few really good landing pages out there.

Even though you land on their wall, I particularly like Burt’s Bees. Their “Natural Too…” page really fits their overall marketing image/campaign. It looks natural, simple, clean, refreshing. What does surprise me is that they just went over 110,000 fans last week. Maybe this shout-out will boost their numbers. Kudos, too for letting us default to see posts by Burt’s Bees and others.

Runners up for best Facebook business page for creative design include, Coach, The Children’s Place and Wonka. Although, Willy, it’s time to update.

Free Stuff

I really wanted to find a great Facebook business page that gives away lots of FREE stuff. This was harder to do than I thought it would be. My best advice is to go to the pages for your favorite stores and products and click like. Also check for tabs on those pages with headings like, special offer, coupon, and deals. Really the best deals are for stuff we already like.

You may also enjoy checking into sites like freesnatcher.com and freestuffonfacebook.com. These diligent bloggers do the work so you don’t have to.

Most Likes

It’s funny how popularity works on Facebook. I still don’t know how Vin Diesel got to be so popular (16,809,153 fans), for example. Right now the most popular pages are Zynga’s game, Texas Hold’em Poker (24,841,218), Facebook (22,111,133), Michael Jackson (21,637,836), and Lady Gaga (20,366,689).

The October 11, 2010 issue of Forbes says Zynga, who owns Texas Hold’em Poker and Farmville (59,497,299 users), “is worth perhaps $5 billion.” According to that issue, “today there are more than 1 million developers working with Facebook data worldwide, mostly small-timers hoping to hit it big like Zynga.”

It was hard to shuffle through pages like “I need a vacation!!!” to find actual business pages. Top ranking consumer goods on Facebook are Coca-Cola (which has a very nice landing page, even though I prefer Pepsi) and Nutella. These two make Business Insiders top 25. I was surprised the page The Art of Travel by Louis Vuitton has garnered 1,434,226 fans. I wonder how many of their fans actually own a real Vuitton bag. I do have to say I give them points for their latest ad campaign, featuring Ali and Bono.

Local Businesses

Social media has changed what we can influence. Facebook is mostly free and small businesses are finding it greatly advantageous to spend time networking. One local pizza company claims that facebook saved their business.

Local to me? I live in a small Wisconsin town and I’m impressed at how well local business owners keep up and hold their own. Body Essentials at 88 likes is still pretty new to facebook, but owner, Kathy Hansen, does it well. She’s got video, pictures, and regular updates.

Forbes asks, “Who would you trust more for a recommendation, Google or your friends?… Now 80 of the world’s 100 largest advertisers are on Facebook.” Facebook has leveled the playing field. Big names and local business can have an online presence for free (or nearly). Local businesses are finding success on Facebook as people travel less and begin to realize the importance of shopping locally.

Best Two-Way Communication

Starbucks. Hands down. Most of the pages on here one of my friends likes. The popular pages are usually liked by five or six of my friends. Starbucks (at last count) has 10. Maybe that says something about demographics, but it says something. Starbucks has videos, actively engages, posts every couple of days, and keeps their content varied, fun, and interesting. They don’t push, there is no hard selling. They keep their fans interested and entertained.

Whatever your industry, you’ll find your fans are on Facebook with 500 million users and growing isn’t it about time you got “liked?”

By: Terra L. Fletcher, freelance writer and marketing consultant. She also teaches classes on Facebook and owns Fletcher Freelance.

Your ad is visually appealing. You paid hundreds or thousands of dollars for it. It has been printed in magazines and newspapers or played on television and radio. You turn on your open sign the day of the Super Colossal Blowout Sale. That’s funny. No one is waiting in line for me to open. You wait optimistically. You close up shop 15 minutes early. It was business as usual today. Only one person mentioned your ad or brought in your coupon.

Has this been your experience? Would you like to get more from your advertising dollars? Failed ads have no clear objective to begin with or did not meet their objective. In most advertising success or failure is measured by return on investment (ROI) of an ad. Did your ad make money? What was the percentage or return?

Failure to Reach

Did anyone see or hear your ad? Most ad campaigns fail because they aren’t reaching your target audience.  Spend time studying your demographics and psychographics. Your ROI will automatically improve as soon as you start reaching your ideal market segment.

Predictable Ads

Your ad sounded just right. You followed the formulas. It looks like everyone else’s. That’s precisely the problem. Predictable ads do not pique the Broca’s area of the brain, which understands language. They fail to get attention because they’re polished, professional, cliché.

Your ad violated Orwell’s rule, “Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.” “We have the best service and selection” is the equivalent of “blah blah blah.”Clishe allows the reader or listener to passively follow along. It does not conjure up any new imagery. Your ad was background noise.

Ad Content

Ads fail because they are boring.  Get out the yellow pages and look up your business.  Look at your competition.  How many times do you see the same words and phrases throughout?  Your company needs to stand out.

Ads fail because they are all about you.  You know the old benefit-feature rule.  Why are you talking about yourself so much?  People want to know, “What’s in it for me?”

Ads fail when they are too content rich. (That’s hard for me to say, as a writer. But as a copywriter, I know less is more.) You cannot and should not cover every service or product you offer. Focus on one. Capture the attention, grow the interest, build a desire, and end with a clear call to action.

Emotionless Ads

Ads fail because they don’t affect emotion. To arouse desire that motivates purchase, you need to sell the emotional end result, not the product.  Harley doesn’t sell motorcycles.  They sell the excuse/opportunity for 43-year-old accountants to wear black leather and have people in small towns fear them.  Sell the attitude, sell the lifestyle.

Do not confuse this with entertainment. An ad that simply entertains without persuading will not yield a high ROI. The most successful ads deliver involvement and clarity.

Lack of Differentiation

Why should anyone come to you (rather than your competitor)? A unique selling position should answer that question. It must be relevant to your target audience, addressing their point of pain. Think about how you can help your clients.

Don’t be afraid to offend. No, I’m not saying your ad should be sexist, racist, or shocking. But it does need to get attention and compel action. Remember that of the customers who hate your ads, 98.9 percent of them will still come to you when they need your product. These customers don’t cost you money. They just complain to the cashier about your annoying ad while handing over their cash.

No Clear Call to Action

Ads fail if they have no clear call to action. You cannot assume your audience will know what you want them to do. Never overestimate their intelligence. Tell them what to do and cause them to imagine themselves doing it.

Ads fail when they have too many calls to action. Do you ask readers to go to the website, stop in, and call? Do you fill half your ad space with contact info?  This is especially detrimental with radio advertising. No one can remember all that! End with one clear singular call to action. If you even use a phone number on television or radio, make it easy to recall.

By:  Terra L. Fletcher, Fletcher Freelance

About the Author:

Terra L. Fletcher is a freelance writer living in Shawano, Wisconsin. In addition to writing articles for the web, mainstream publication, and industry journals, Fletcher provides business writing and marketing services. She owns Fletcher Freelance where she writes, edits, and provides marketing consultations. Fletcher enjoys speaking to trade and professional organizations on presenting a professional image, internet marketing, and Facebook for business. When she’s not writing, Fletcher loves to cook, spend time outdoors, and read.

What if you could grab 5-10 minutes of laser-focused attention here and there throughout the day? Would it help you be more effective? I think so. Micro-Focusing is something I’ve been using lately to try to grab a little bit more time each day that I might not be able to access otherwise. I got the idea from Steve Slaunwhite, who wrote about a similar concept called the 50-minute focus in his book The Wealthy Freelancer.

The idea is to grab little blocks of time, about 5-10 minutes whenever you can to focus on the important tasks you need to complete. It’s about the same amount of time it takes to grab a cup of coffee or run to the restroom. Everyone has it, and using it this way is a great way to successfully navigate life’s daily interruptions.

While nothing is better than being able to fully focus on your work for extended time periods, those blocks of time seem harder and harder to come by with all the daily distractions of client demands, email, phone and family responsibilities. And once your time is gone, it’s gone. It’s the most important non-renewable resource we have.

One day when I was faced with the inability to schedule a focused block of time, I elected to try micro-focusing and the results were great. To try micro-focusing, it’s it’s ideal have easy access to email and with web with a mobile phone or similar device. If that’s not possible, get in the habit of carrying a small pocket-sized notebook and pen with you everywhere. Although I’m a writer and web designer, here are some more generic examples of how you can use each 5-10 minute micro-focusing session to snatch little bits of time here and there throughout the day:

• Schedule or re-schedule a client meeting, or email yourself a reminder to do it
• Write down the three main points you want to deliver in your next presentation
• In your next micro-focus section, start brainstorming one of those three points
• Write down a list of administrative tasks you need to complete such as buy post-it notes, update bookkeeping, mail bills, etc.
• Tackle the ones you can complete in a few minutes during your next session
• Write down that killer idea the minute it hits – don’t depend on your memory. Write it down now.
• Read the article you bookmarked earlier in the day
• Return all phonecalls. If you catch someone live, tell them you only have a few minutes, otherwise leave a voicemail.
• Write or return emails that only take 2-3 minutes to create. Save the others for later.

You get the idea. What’s great about this practice is that doing it consistently tends to start opening up those larger time blocks. As you start completing more and more tasks, give yourself a reward. Take a walk around the block, watch something funny on YouTube, or just chill out and relax. Give Micro-Focusing a try and see if it helps you get more done.

You may also enjoy reading 5 Online Productivity Tools To Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder.

Today’s mobile devices and an always-on internet connection make it truly possible to work anytime, anywhere you want. But it’s also necessary to have the type of work that’s portable. If, like most traditional office workers, you spend the majority of your day using a word processor, spreadsheet or slide program plus occasionally surfing the web, there’s no reason you can’t periodically break free from your cubicle and work in the wide open world.

While I do most of my work from a cozy home office, I’ve got a mobile setup that gives me true flexibility.In this post I’ll show you the minimum kit necessary to work anywhere you want.

For example, I’m writing this article on my iPhone in my favorite coffee shop using Evernote, a ubiquitous note taking tool that will immediately sync my Evernote draft with my desktop as soon as I’m done. Pretty crazy, huh? Evernote syncs automatically across multiple devices – my iPhone, my laptop and the web. So I’ll be able to edit my article later wherever it suits me. You can signup for a free Evernote account at http://evernote.com.

Here’s a list of standard mobile office tools that make working anytime, anywhere a snap:

Laptop

A laptop or a netbook computer is an absolute must. My personal preference is an old black MacBook laptop with as much memory as I could cram into it. I’m primarily a writer and a web designer, so my software packages include Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite 4.

Broadband Internet Connection

You can’t depend on coffeeshop wi-fi and be truly free to work anywhere you want. To be truly mobile, you need to take the internet with you. While some folks may opt for a cell phone tethering setup, I prefer a USB modem that I can easily pop into my laptop as needed. The nominal monthly charge is worth it since I know I’ll always be connected.

Mobile Phone/Internet Device

While I haven’t personally jumped on the iPad bandwagon yet, I know a lot of colleagues who love them. I honestly prefer the smaller form factor of my iPhone and don’t mind typing with my thumbs. In fact, lately I’m doing more and more writing work on my iPhone since I don’t necessarily want to lug my laptop backpack everywhere I go. It’s nice to have a choice that fits right into your pocket or purse.

Online Data Storage/Retrieval

Cloud computing services such as Dropbox and Box.net are an excellent way to store and access large files from the internet. Both services have free starter accounts and are less than $10 a month for up to 5GB of storage. They also have iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps to make it easy to access important files from your mobile device.

Notebook and pen

There’s still something magical about putting pen to paper that never gets old for me, so a pocket Moleskine notebook is a great asset to all my gadgets.

Earbuds

I love to listen to music while I’m working, so earbuds help me shut out the outside world and get into the zone. And, since they’re an iPhone accessory they make it easy enough to take calls if necessary.

Laptop lock (optional)

A Kensington laptop lock is a great way to keep everything secure if you’re working in a public space like a restaurant, library or coffeeshop. I typically lock my laptop to the table where I’m sitting and run the cable through my bag handle to keep everything together. It will give you great of mind if you occasionally need to step away for a break.

A bag to keep everything in

Finally, you’ll need a place to keep everything neat and tidy, so my preference is either a small laptop backpack or a midsize messenger back. I alternate between both depending on where I’m going. The messenger bag is a little nicer for client meetings, but either will do.

And there you have it. A basic kit to keep you organized and productive from just about anywhere in the world. What do you use to setup your mobile office? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Many freelancers don’t know what’s happening tomorrow from an income standpoint, much less how to plan for retirement. But despite the everyday realities of freelance life, it’s important to plan for your future today, and the best way to do that is to establish an effective retirement program. So how can freelancers setup a regular savings program when their income varies from month to month?

When I started my freelance business almost 4 years ago, my husband and I decided that I would temporarily suspend saving for retirement for exactly that reason. But now it’s four years later and I realize that 1) it’s time for me to resume saving again and 2) I wish I had never stopped, but I was afraid at the time.

Back when I had a full-time corporate job, my retirement savings was automatically deducted from my paycheck every two weeks. We never even felt it and every quarter we were thrilled to receive a broker statement showing our growing savings.

Freelancers don’t have the same benefits as people with “real jobs” such as 401k plans or deferred compensation. If you’re self-employed, it’s totally up to you to make savings as important as completing client work. But since our income is so variable, it can be risky to put x dollars away every month when you might not know you’ll need the cash to fix unexpected car trouble, pay for your kid’s braces or some other unplanned expense.

In “The Money Book For Freelancers, Part-Timers, and The Self-Employed”, authors Joseph D’Agnese and Denise Kiernan suggest that freelancers should save at least 10% of whatever comes in using an online savings account such as ING Direct or Bank of America. They advise saving even more than that if possible, spreading it out across what they call the “Holy Trinity” of an emergency fund, tax fund, and a retirement fund.

While the authors recognize that saving 10% might be a little hard at first, the most important thing is to just start with whatever amount you can put away. The idea is to get in the habit of paying yourself first. As you get used to the process, contribute more and more over time until you reach your regular savings contribution goal.

After reading the book I was inspired to give it a try, and so far it’s working pretty well. As soon as I deposit a client check I immediately deduct 10% from my online checking account to my online savings account. It’s not automated, but it works and I’m really starting to develop the healthy habit of paying myself first.

As your savings begin to accrue, you’ll want to setup a retirement investment account if you haven’t done so already. For most freelancers a SEP (Simplified Employee Pension plan) is the way to go. A SEP is very similar to a 401k, in that it allows you to shelter a percentage of your earnings each year from income taxes. It can even be a better deal than a 401k, since you can shelter up to 20% of your net income each year up to a maximum of $49,000. But be sure and consult a qualified finance professional before you invest.

It is absolutely possible for a freelancer to save for retirement. Like anything else worthwhile, it takes upfront planning and regular attention. Setup an online savings account today and watch your retirement start growing.

You may also enjoy Guide to Financial Planning and How to Budget.

These days it seems harder than ever to get things done. Our always-on, emailing, texting, meeting and phoning society creates a world of distractions that’s often difficult to navigate. Thank goodness there are some online tools that actually make it possible to work smarter, not harder. Here are my 5 favorites:

1. Evernote

Evernote is a remarkable online tool that helps me remember everything – article ideas, to-dos, web clippings, all sorts of stuff. It even captures text within images and makes them searchable. I’m a big fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done method, and Evernote is my all-in-one GTD reference tool.

Evernote truly feels like an extension of my brain, because I can access it from the web, my phone, or my computer. I used to carry around a pad and pen with me everywhere. While I still sometimes use my paper based tools, now I use my phone to capture ideas immediately that I can expand on later using the computer.

I use Evernote to save ideas, remember things I see, and note things I like. And since it’s web-based, I can view all these notes on any computer or whatever web-enabled device is available. Whether I’m typing a text note, clipping a web page, grabbing screenshots, or taking a photo, Evernote keeps it all searchable, safe and secure. Because Evernote syncs across the web, assigned devices and your computer, there’s always a handy backup immediately available.

Best of all Evernote is a free service. But if you have a ton of ideas, you can upgrade to the paid version for just $5 per month. http://evernote.com

2. Jott Assistant

Jott Assistant is a speech-to-text program that is available for a monthly subscription fee starting at $3.95 a month. The way it works is you simply call Jott, tell it who you want to contact (a single pre-assigned person or group), leave your message and voila! Your message is converted to text and emailed to your contacts.

I depend on Jott to help me remember things when I’m traveling. It integrates beautifully with Evernote, so if I come up with something when my hands aren’t free to type, I can just call Jott and send the thought to Evernote for later access.

I use Jott mostly for reminders. For example, if I forgot to pickup something at the grocery store and want to remember it later, I’ll call Jott and say “Pickup bananas”. Jott will email me the reminder immediately. If I want, I can set another reminder to email or text me the next time I’m out and about.

Along those lines, sometimes you remember stuff but can’t act on it until later, and that’s when Jott is a true lifesaver. Like when you remember that you need to get tickets for the community fundraiser the night before the deadline at 10:30 p.m. when you can’t do anything about it. Simply call Jott, say “Buy fundraiser tickets”, and set a reminder for the following day during a time when you can act on it.

Jott Assistant can really do wonders for your productivity. The company also offers plans for text-based voicemail and salesforce.com Check it out at http://jott.com

3. Outright

Outright is a free online tool that has greatly reduced the time I used to spend on bookkeeping. I use it to track income, expenses and run profit/loss reports. I used to keep all my accounting information in a spreadsheet, but that became tedious and difficult when I started getting more clients and had to manually copy and paste invoice data from one place to another.

Outright makes it easy to import data from other online accounts to put your bookkeeping on autopilot and prepare taxes. Easy-to-run reports give you visibility into your profit and loss, income, and expenses. It’s perfect for freelancers, independent contractors, or anyone who files a Schedule C income tax form.

For example, since Outright integrates with Freshbooks, my online invoicing tool, it automatically updates whenever I log a payment into Freshbooks. I simply enter expenses as they come in and Outright does all the math. And since you can assign categories to your expenses it makes preparing taxes so much easier. You can also export your data at any time to .CSV and other spreadsheet-friendly formats. Give it a try and automate your bookkeeping.

http://outright.com

4. Basecamp

The folks at 37Signals hit a home run when they made Basecamp for their own project management needs back in 2005. This product is an excellent must-have tool for tracking client work and personal projects. Unlike traditional project management tools like Microsoft Project that use Gaannt charts, Basecamp is both a project management and collaboration tool that tracks all communication and documents around a given project, so it’s easy to see where things stand at any given moment.

The Basecamp interface is very simple and intuitive to use. Using a combination of Messages, Files, To-Do’s, and a special utility called “Writeboards”, the Overview section shows you everything that’s happened on your project in reverse chronological order. You can click into any item to view details, and all messages and to-dos have the ability for other team members to comment on them.

Sign up for a free account to try it out, and then choose from a variety of monthly subscription plans based on the number of projects you need. Right now I use the Personal Plan at $12 a month, which allows me to track up to 3 projects. When things get busier I upgrade to the Basic Plan at $24 a month, which gives me room for up to 15 projects. I really like the flexibility to upgrade/downgrade my plans depending on my current workload.

Basecamp also provides the ability to brand projects with your company logo and colors, which can help you show a more professional face to clients. No wonder some of the world’s biggest companies and agencies use it, including Adidas, National Geographic, and Ogilvy. It just works.

http://basecamphq.com

5. Highrise

Highrise is another product from 37Signals that brings CRM (Customer Relationship Management) to freelancers and other solo professionals/small businesses. This online tool helps you track sales calls and all conversations that lead up to closing a deal. It helps you remember who you talked to, what was said, and when to follow up.

Highrise is built around the concept of Contacts and all the ways you can interact with them. For example, yesterday I received a call to bid on a new project. I entered the contact’s name and information into Highrise and created a “Deal” to track the sales process.

Upon logging into Highrise, I entered a description of the pending deal, what I expect to earn if it closes, and all the notes from our phone conversation. I also scheduled a tickler email to notify me on Friday if I haven’t heard a decision yet. This is incredibly useful when you start tracking multiple contacts, conversations and deals over time. There’s no need to remember anything – you just check your notes in Highrise or it emails you with the next step in the sales cycle.

Like Basecamp, you can try Highrise for free and then signup for a variety of monthly subscriptions plans. Give it a go at http://highrisehq.com

These 5 online tools have made it possible for me to work more effectively with multiple clients, get work done and stay focused. See if they can help you, too, and let us know what you think in the comments.

We’re too connected. Many of us have laptops and internet-equipped cell phones so that we’re always able to stay in touch. We like to think this makes us more productive, but I’m beginning to realize that’s a myth. Checking your email every minute of the day doesn’t make you more productive; in fact, it robs you of your productivity. This obsession with making sure you get email the second it hits your inbox can become a major distraction that prevents you from getting work done.

Look, I admit it. I’m one of those people who has my Gmail open the entire time I’m working. I’m always looking at the tab to make sure a new message hasn’t arrived. And if a new message does pop up in my inbox, I’ll stop to see what it is. If it’s not spam, I’ll take the time to read it and respond if necessary. Of course, I receive emails all day long, both personal and for work, so this really does take up quite a bit of time.

But loss of productivity isn’t the only negative effect of checking email too often. Honestly, being plugged in 24/7 starts to get a little stressful after a while. It’s like you never get a break from it. I mean, it was only about a year ago that I didn’t have a phone with internet connectivity, but now that I have my iPhone, I suddenly feel like I have an obligation to constantly stay in the conversation. I’m sure I’m not alone, and I think that if left unchecked, this could lead to burnout.

What’s the solution? Here are some ideas I’ve come up with.

• Separate personal and work emails—I use my Gmail account both for work and personal email use. I think this eats up a lot of unnecessary time during my work day as I’m reading non-work related emails. I should separate the two so that I’m focused on business tasks during the day. This alone could help to make me more productive.
• Check your email on a schedule—I know the internet has made us an impatient bunch, but is it really necessary to respond to emails the second they’re sent? For some companies, it might be, but in most situations, the sender can wait 30 minutes to an hour before receiving a response. Set a schedule for checking your email. You can check it every half hour or every hour. This frees up the rest of the time for you to focus on other work.
• Have a cutoff time—As a freelancer, the lines between my work and personal life often get blurred. I mean, I work from home, so it’s hard to know when to call it a day so I can relax and hang out with the family. That’s why I’m going to setup a cutoff time for my internet and email use. After this time in the evening, I’ll turn off the computer and try my best to forget about work.
• Take a technology cleanse occasionally—A friend of mine recently took a tech cleanse for a weekend. He left his computer, cell phone, and other gadgets at home while he went camping for a few days. It was a way just to get away from it all for a little while so he could relax and recharge his batteries. I think this is a great idea, and it’s something most of us could benefit from.

How often do you check your email?