Apple’s new iPad – Good for Business?

Two weeks ago Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the much rumored Apple iPad to the world. The iPad had been much speculated and its unveiling sent a shockwave through the tech world. Essentially a cross between an iPhone (mobile smart phone) and a MacBook (laptop computer), the sleek looking device is an attempt by Apple to grab a piece of the newly created netbook market. A netbook, for the uninitiated, is a relatively cheap laptop computer meant to run simple applications like email clients and web browsers. The rise in popularity of netbooks and the proliferation of an entirely new market was surely too much for Apple to ignore. Enter the iPad.

The iPad will be released in North America in April and there will surely be throngs of rabid Apple consumers clamoring to get their fingerprints on its multi-touch LED display. But what can it do for small business owners? Is the iPad versatile enough to replace the home office desktop or laptop? Well it certainly appears that the iPad will be marketed toward couch riding web surfers rather than business owners, but these are questions both worth exploring.

Apps

Software is the deal breaker for any new tech product. If developers hadn’t gotten behind the iPhone when it was first released, it wouldn’t have been nearly as big a success as it has been. The same will rule will apply to the iPad, but luckily it’ll hit the ground running with a large database of apps.

From all indications, the iPad will operate on the same OS (operating system) as the iPhone and will be able to run all of the 100,000+ applications already available for the iPhone. Most importantly for business owners this includes Apple’s iWork package, which includes Pages (word processing), Keynote (presentations) and Numbers (spreadsheets). All of these apps are compatible with standard Windows formats, so there’s no cross-platform compatibility issues to worry about with customers or clients.

The ultimate success of the iPad for business owners will come down to developers’ ability to create apps exclusively for it. As it stands now, there are some powerful business apps for the iPhone, but the iPad’s larger screen and more powerful processor establishes a whole new framework in which to build better business apps, exclusively for the iPad. What developers come up with remains to be seen.

Keyboard

The iPad, by virtue of having a much larger screen, provides a superior keyboard to the iPhone. However, it’s uncertain whether most people will be willing to completely abandon traditional keyboards for touch-screen keyboards. Luckily, the iPad features a keyboard dock so users can connect an Apple keyboard if they so prefer.

Ports

One of the biggest criticisms of the iPad is that it features only one port, an iPod dock in addition to a headphone jack. This means that USB, Firewire, VGA, Serial, Parrallel, etc. ports can only be connected through Apple adapters.

This means that in order to connect any camera, phone, storage device, or other non-Apple product to the iPad, you’ll be forced to purchase relatively expensive Apple adapters. Even then, you’ll only be able to connect one at a time.

Screen

Really the iPad is just a screen encased in plastic and aluminum. Of course, this is no regular screen. The iPad features no face buttons, so the entire screen acts as a multi-touch interface. Like an iPhone, users can open, close, select, scroll, type and perform all other tasks by interacting with the iPad’s screen. Forget everything you knew about the computer mouse, touch screen is the way of the future.

Verdict

So is the iPad worth getting for small business owners? The short answer is no, the slightly less short answer is not yet.

The long answer is as follows: the iPad upon its release will have some serious shortcomings when compared to desktops, laptops and even netbooks. It’s up to third-party developers to turn the iPad from a cool web-browser into a fully functioning business tool. Inhibiting this is the fact that it runs on a mobile OS. The iPhone and iPad OS doesn’t allow multiple apps to run at the same time, a serious blow to workplace productivity.

The lack of standardized ports makes it difficult and expensive to use normal everyday peripherals and the touch screen keyboard is still in its infancy. Experts are unsure whether people will fully make the switch from traditional keyboards to touch screen interfaces.

The iPad will not and is not intended to replace your desktop or laptop, so don’t get caught up in the hype and excitement when it launches in your neck of the woods. Maybe one day tablet computers similar to the iPad will replace the more traditional computers we use to run our businesses, but don’t curb your tower, monitor and mouse just yet.

Blogging – Make Money with Ads

You’ve probably seen the ads. They exclaim:

“Get Paid to Blog!”

“Blog for Cash!”

“Earn $3000 a Month Blogging!”

Do these ads make you a little curious? What exactly is blogging and how do people make such good money doing it? Well good bloggers, the ones that consistently provide relevant and engaging content to a dedicated readership, make most of their money through advertising.

Blogging is, very simply, the act of writing for an online audience. A blog, a portmanteau of “web log”, is typically organized chronologically with the most current entries presented first. A person that writes and maintains a blog is called a blogger and the act of writing for a blog is called blogging. Originally meant to act as online journals, blogs have evolved into a legitimate form of media that threatens to overthrow archaic forms of print media. They’re also a great place to post pictures of your cat.

Of the many ways to monetize a blog, which are discussed in more detail here, advertising is the most diverse and successful way to make money with your blog.

Google AdSense

Since its introduction in 2005, the Google AdSense program has generated income for thousands of work at home bloggers. It’s by far the most popular source of advertising revenue for most blogs, regardless of content.

What is AdSense? Here’s the straight goods from Google:

Google AdSense is a fast and easy way for website publishers of all sizes to earn money by displaying targeted, unobtrusive Google ads on their websites. AdSense also allows you to provide Google search to your site users, while earning money by displaying Google ads on the search results pages.

So how does AdSense work and how does it make you money? Basically, Google scours your site’s content and surrounds it with relevant text, image and video ads. When a visitor to your site clicks on one of these ads, you’ll receive payment for creating a lead. The amount you receive depends on the value of your site’s keywords and how much advertisers are willing to bid for ad placement.

It’s easy to understand why AdSense is so attractive to bloggers. The ads generated by AdSense are relevant, unobtrusive and offer fair compensation. Combine this with the fact that Google is such a large and trusted corporation and there’s no wonder why it’s the best in the business.

In-Text Ads

In-text advertising is exactly as it sounds: advertising within the text of your blog. It’s unique from most forms of web advertising in that it doesn’t frame or surround your blog’s content, it becomes a part of your blog’s content.

So how do in-text ads work and how can they make you money? Well first you register your blog with an in-text advertising network like Vibrant Media, Kontera or Infolinks. The network will scour your site’s content for keywords and link those keywords to relevant offers or promotions from advertisers. Links appear as a double underline to differentiate them from normal links, so readers aren’t mislead when clicking on them.

Like Google AdSense, you’ll receive payment for creating a lead whenever a reader clicks on one of these ads and the amount you receive depends on the value of your content’s keywords and the bidding price of advertisers.

Detractors of in-text advertising claim that if relied upon, writers will deliberately tailor their content around certain keywords, creating a tidal wave of replicated content that only serves to pay the writer. However, in most cases like this, readers realize pretty quickly that this site has no relevant content and will leave without clicking on any of the in-text ads.

When used correctly and targeted at the right audience, in-text ads can be an unobtrusive and lucrative form of advertising for your blog.

Affiliate Marketing

If Google AdSense is completely unobtrusive and in-text advertising is somewhat obtrusive, then affiliate marketing is completely obtrusive. This doesn’t mean that it’s not a legitimate and lucrative form of advertising for your blog, because it is.

What is affiliate marketing and how can it make you money? Affiliate marketing is the practice of promoting products or services directly in your blog posts and receiving a commission or sponsorship. Many companies, the most prominent being Amazon, offer lucrative affiliate marketing programs that are definitely worth checking out. When you register with an affiliate marketing program you’ll be paid for writing about products or services that are relevant to your blog’s audience. The more people that read it and follow up, essentially the more leads you create, the higher your payout.

It’s important when registering your blog under an affiliate marketing program that you consider the kind of products and services you’ll be promoting. Are they in line with your site’s content? How will your readers react to it? You don’t want to risk compromising the integrity of your blog and risk alienating your readers just to make a quick buck, so make sure you actually stand behind what you’re promoting.

Banner ads

Banner ads are perhaps the oldest form of advertising on the web.

A banner ad is an image file embedded directly into a website, which links to an external website. Banner ads can be placed anywhere on a blog and come in all different shapes and sizes. Although banner ads are sometimes called different names depending on their size and position (half-banner, leaderboard, skyscraper, button, etc) for the sake of simplicity, we’ll consider all of these banner ads.

You can generate revenue from banner ads in two ways. The most traditional way is to sell or lease space on your website for advertisers to display their banner. You’ll receive a flat rate no matter how many people click on the ad and ad size and placement will determine how much you can charge. This technique is not nearly as prevalent as it used to be, as it usually benefits one side greatly over the other. The other more common way to generate revenue from banner ads is similar to the previous examples I outlined in this post, that is, payment based on click rate and lead generation.

Though banner ads once dominated the web, their effectiveness and popularity have waned in the past 10 years. Veteran web surfers have learned to ignore them and more sophisticated advertising methods like AdSense and in-text advertising are able to provide better targeted ads through search engine algorithms. However, a well placed, well designed and well targeted ad will always have a place in web advertising.

Keeping Focus in the Web Circus

The Internet is an incredibly powerful tool. At it’s best it’s an enormous dynamic repository of information that’s accessible and intuitive. At it’s worst it’s a cesspool of trivialities and distractions. If you work at home and depend on Internet access to complete your job, you’ve probably spent more than a few minutes surfing the web when you could have been doing something more productive.

Keyboard cats, Rick Astley, dancing inmates and Chuck Norris: these are the enemies of productivity. With entertaining content pulling us in all directions it can be tough to focus on what’s important: getting work done.

So how do you keep focus with so many distractions just a click away?

Create Tasks and Goals

Tasks and goals give your daily schedule some structure. Analyze and prioritize all your tasks and set realistic goals about how many you can complete in a day. Deadlines are an incredible motivator and should help you keep your focus.

Before turning on your computer, create a handwritten list of the things you want to accomplish. By putting pen to paper you’ll you’re making a commitment to yourself that you’ll get things done.

Setup Email Filters

If you receive a lot of personal emails from friends and family, you should consider creating filters in your email client. Filters can sort emails based on a number of criteria and will help you separate personal and professional emails.

By setting up filters you’ll transform your inbox from a dumping ground with no organization to a prioritized archive that will help you manage your work and personal emails better.

Change your IM Status

Sometimes IM clients like AIM, ICQ, Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, etc. are necessary for quickly discussing project details with customers or clients. However, they can also cause a disruption in your productivity if you’re not careful how you use them.

Be sure to change your IM Status to ‘Away’ or ‘Busy’ when working so your IM ‘buddies’ don’t message you looking for a chat. In most IM clients, you can also create filters that separate personal and professional contacts, so you’ll only appear online to people that need to contact you.

Subscribe to RSS Feeds

Do you have regular sites that you check often for news and updates? Well, each time you divert your attention to those sites you’re taking your focus away from work tasks and affecting productivity. Even then, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find the update you were hoping for.

Instead, why not subscribe to your favorite websites through RSS feeds? When you subscribe to an RSS feed, content is automatically delivered to your email or stored in browser bookmarks where you can read them during your downtime.

Give Yourself a Break

If you’re finding it hard to concentrate, sometimes all that’s needed to regain your focus is a break. Take some time away from your tasks and give yourself a mental break. Go for a walk, cook a meal, phone a friend, just remember to resume work once you’ve given yourself enough of a break.

Another technique for keeping focus is time boxing. What is time boxing? It’s the practice of completing tasks through a series of predetermined periods of time. In other words, instead of starting a task and working on it until completion, you’ll schedule yourself to work on several tasks, each for a set amount of time until each one is completed. Time boxing works wonders when working on repetitive or monotonous tasks.

How to Make Money with Your Blog

Blogs sure have come a long way in the last ten years. Originally a unique and innovative way to share thoughts with friends and family, blogging has evolved into a legitimate form of media through which news is broken and analyzed at unprecedented speed.

Some bloggers have managed to monetize their blog, with the most successful earning enough to leave their jobs and work from home full-time as a blogger. A quick review of the web’s most popular and highest earning blogs (Gawker, MacRumors, Huffington Post, Mashable) provides a clear blueprint for people looking to replicate success.

Let’s take a closer look at the best ways to monetize your blog:

1. Merchandise. Establish a desirable brand through consistent, engaging content and an attractive design and sell it to your readers in the form of clothing, posters, stickers and other knick-knacks. Some popular blogs like Smashing Magazine Check out sites like CafePress, Printfection and Goodstorm for merchandising ideas and then start selling.
2. Advertise. The web was built on advertising and although it’s changed dramatically from the invasive, obtrusive forms of the past, it’s still a vital part of most web revenues. Aside from traditional banner and popup ads, bloggers now have plenty of options when it comes to monetizing their blog with advertising. Google ads, rss ads and in-text ads are all excellent ways to make residual income and won’t affect your blog’s content in any way.
3. Charge for premium content. Some blogs, especially those with a history in subscription print media, have found success offering a combination of free and paid content on their site. Be careful though when considering whether or not to do this with your blog. Is your site’s content so valuable that people will pay a fee just to read it? Some of the world’s most successful newspapers and magazines have found the transition tough, especially when there’s so much free content on the web.
4. Ask for donations. There’s no shame in asking your readers for donations, but don’t count on it as a source of regular income. There are ways to increase your chance of reader donations, (appealing directly to readers, dispensing other forms of monetization) but the reality is that only a small percentage of readers, no matter how loyal, will donate money to you. A few bucks here and there is nice, but it’s no way to earn a living.
5. Earn a commission. Since almost anything in life can be associated with a product or service, almost any blog, regardless of content, can be monetized through affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is the practice of promoting products or services and receiving a commission on direct sales. Many companies offer lucrative affiliate marketing programs that are worth checking out. Be careful when choosing a program though and be sure to only promote products that you believe in and are in line with the
6. Sell it. So you’ve created a blog with engaging content that generates significant traffic and a loyal readership. You’ve tried making money off it, but it’s not working out the way you hoped it would. Why not try selling your blog? There are thousands of people that can turn a successful blog into a successful business, so why not sell your blog to them and let them take a crack at it. You can either take the money and run or if you’re integral to the success of the blog, they may pay you a salary to provide content.

Limiting Unpaid Invoices

Whenever you begin a working relationship with a customer or client, there is an expectation that they’ll be able to pay you when billed for your services. Unfortunately, you may find yourself in a situation where your client is unable or unwilling to pay their bill for any number of reasons.

There are legal steps you can take to claim your unpaid invoices, but the process can often be long and convoluted. You may be able to claim unpaid invoices when you file your taxes, but be sure to check with a professional.

The best cure for the unpaid invoice blues is through prevention. There are some tricks you can implement to ensure that your invoice is paid on time and in full. Follow these tips to save yourself some grief later on:

1. Halt services. This may seem obvious, but it’s astonishing how many people continue offering their services to customers or clients when they have an outstanding bill. Remember though, not everyone is out to rip you off, so allow for an appropriate amount of time from billing to receive payment. It’s one thing to continue to work for a client while awaiting payment, it’s entirely another to continue working for them when it’s clear they cannot or will not make payment.
2. Charge up front. If your customers or clients are comfortable making full or partial payment up front, then you’ll guarantee yourself something for your effort. One method used by some contractors is charging up front for their estimated time or materials then charging the balance upon delivery of their products or services. This guarantees that you won’t come away empty handed.
3. Make payment convenient. It’s incredible how many invoices are paid late just because it’s a hassle for customers or clients to make a payment. If you have a website or do a lot of work remotely, consider setting up a PayPal account or accepting credit card payments through your site. If you mail invoices to your customers or clients, include a pre-paid envelope for them to send payment in. Anything you can do to make payment easier on your customers or clients will probably ensure that you get paid quicker.
4. Charge late fees. There’s some debate as to whether it’s professional or not to charge a late fee on unpaid invoices, but so long as it’s agreed upon before work commences it’s legal. In most cases, a late fee does little more than act as a warning or deterrent so it’s not necessary to charge anymore than a nominal fee.
5. Hire a collection agency. If you’re uncomfortable, unwilling or unable to personally collect payment from a customer or client, you should consider hiring a professional collection agency. Collection agencies not only lend urgency and legitimacy to your payment requests, but they can also help you with returned funds and bounced checks.

5 Ideas for Starting a Business with Little or No Investment

In most cases, starting a business requires considerable investment. In fact, most people cite startup costs as the biggest obstacle to starting a business. There are however some businesses you can start from the comfort of your own home with very little, sometimes even no, investment.

Writing

If you have a way with words and grammar or an education in English or Communications you could be working from home as a freelance writer.

Do you have expertise in a specific field? Consider a career as a technical writer. Do you enjoy creating memorable characters and writing fiction? Consider a career as an author. Do you have the ability to create writing that sells? Consider a career as a copywriter.

If you have a passion for writing and the drive to promote and market yourself, there are plenty of opportunities to earn a good living as a writer.

All that’s required to start your career as a professional writer is a computer, a word processor and a writing portfolio. Chances are you already own a computer and word processing software so all that’s left is to create a professional writing portfolio. Create or collect any of your writing that’s relevant to the position you’re applying for and arrange it in a portfolio to present to employers.

Data Entry

A data entry clerk is a person who transcribes one form of data into another form. Typically this involves reading hard-written and digital documents and transcribing them into spreadsheets or word processors.

Most data entry clerks work remotely from a home office so all that’s needed to start a career as a data entry clerk is a computer and some software.

Web Design/Web Development

Designing and developing websites requires a certain level of creativity and technical ability. If you have the skills to build websites from scratch, you could be working from home, making good money.

A web design or web development degree isn’t always needed when applying for jobs and there are plenty of free tutorials and help guides on the web to build your knowledge and skills with. Spend some time learning and practicing until you have enough experience to take on professional work.

You’ll have to invest some money in computer hardware and software as a startup cost but you’ll be able to deduct these as business expenses when you file your taxes.

Accounting/Bookkeeping

If you’re good at working with numbers or have formal education and training as an accountant, you could be working from home as an accountant. An accountant calculates, tracks and analyzes financial balances and records them in a ledger for their employer.

Many businesses, small and large, hire professional accountants to manage their finances, creating a large job market for people that are good at working with numbers.

Most accountants work only part-time for each client, but keep multiple clients to fill their schedule. Accounts typically work from an office or home office and meet with their clients to discuss and review ledgers. All that’s required to start a career as a professional accountant or bookkeeper is a computer and some accounting software.

Direct Sales

Direct selling is the practice of selling products to people outside of a retail setting. Traditional direct sales programs like Avon, Tupperware and The Pampered Chef have given millions of people the opportunity to earn a living from the comfort of their own home.

The genius behind direct sales programs is that they enable you to start a business for yourself, while providing you with a fully developed and backed product to sell to an already established market.

Depending on which direct sales program you choose to represent you may be required to purchase a startup kit, training materials or product inventory. These expenses are usually modestly priced and should pay for themselves once you begin selling products. When you consider the planning, manufacturing and advertising expenses and risks associated with starting your own business, a nominal startup fee for the right to sell products with an established market seems negligible.

Creating a Weekly Meal Plan for Your Family

For many parents, working at home is born out of necessity. It’s necessary that they be home to care and provide for their family. For many, this means grocery shopping and cooking dinners each night for the family. If you spend just a little time each week to create a meal plan, you’ll save hundreds of dollars each month by not eating out and you’ll ensure that your family is happy and healthy.

Here are some tips for creating a weekly meal plan for your family:

1. Plan to plan. Establish a set day/time for yourself to sit down and devise your meal plan each week. Go through your fridge and your pantry to determine what you may need from the grocery store.
2. Note family favorites. If your children or your spouse is fond of a particular dish then add it to the regular rotation! It ensures that they’ll be happy and you won’t have to make any tough decisions on what to cook.
3. Stick to routine. If you stick to a regular schedule of planning, purchasing and cooking  you’ll be less likely to deviate from your meal plan. If something unforeseen should occur, you can always resort to leftovers.
4. Stock your kitchen. Make sure to keep your kitchen stocked with necessities that won’t spoil: canned goods, pasta and grains can easily be turned into a side dish with little effort.
5. Spice it up! Add new and different spices when cooking a familiar recipe to give it a fresh taste.

5 Basic Tax Tips for Freelancers and the Self-Employed

When starting a home-based business or undertaking any sort of self-employment, most people get intimidated at the prospect of tracking, filing and ultimately being responsible for their own taxes. While it’s true that you’ll have to manage and pay taxes on your own, there’s no reason to feel intimidated; you’ll be able to make the transition from employee to self-employed with no problems if you arm yourself with some knowledge.

Here are some basic tips for managing your taxes:

1. Save every receipt. Nothing is more valuable to the self-employed than a receipt for a business expense. Make sure you keep receipts of any purchases related to your business. This includes office furniture and supplies, computer hardware and software, phone and internet bills. Also, be sure to save receipts for any expenses that you’ve had to incur due to self-employment. This includes medical and dental bills, childcare bills and travel expenses(airfare, accommodation, meals). All of these things can be deducted if you can prove that they’re business expenses.
2. Keep detailed records. Copy and store all of your receipts safely and create detailed spreadsheets that track all of your expenses and revenues for the month. File billing invoices properly. Leave no stone unturned, the more meticulous you are, the less likely you’ll make a mistake.
3. Deduct your office space. In addition to deducting your business expenses, you may be eligible to deduct a portion of your utilities, rent, homeowners insurance, etc. Measure the space of your home office and divide it against the entire square footage of your home to find out how big of a percentage you may be eligible for.
4. Set up a retirement plan. By setting up a registered retirement plan, you’ll not only be investing in your future, but you’ll also defer taxable income and lower your tax bracket.
5. Get help. Dealing with taxes can be complex and frustrating for a lot of people, especially for the newly self-employed. In these cases, the best thing you can do is get in touch with an accountant or tax expert that has experience filing taxes for the self-employed. They’ll be able to help you maximize deductions, set aside tax money and file your taxes correctly

Tips for Choosing an Office Space

Your new home office should be big enough to comfortably fit all of the things you’ll need to conduct a business, but not so big that it becomes a storage room for other things from around your house. Take stock of the things that you’ll need in your office. At the bare minimum you’ll need a desk, a comfortable chair and a computer. Most likely, you’ll also need space for filing cabinets, printers, phones/fax machines, a table and possibly even some couches or comfortable seating for guests or clients. What once seemed like a large space can quickly shrink, so be sure to make a plan for your office before you start buying furniture.

Here are some tips for choosing the right space for your home office:

1. Measure your office space and calculate how much room you’ll have for furniture and décor. Keep track of your measurements and draw up a floor plan so you’ll know exactly what to look for when purchasing furniture.
2. Leave room for empty floor space. A cramped and cluttered room can feel imposing and can kill your creativity and productivity. If you feel like you don’t have enough space, get creative by using bookshelves, storage desks and closets for extra space.
3. Consider your privacy. Is your office located in an area of the house where you won’t be easily easily distracted or interrupted? It’s absolutely necessary that you’re able to focus solely on work without having to fight to concentrate.
4. Consider the distance of your office from your home’s entrance. This is important if you’ll be meeting with guests or clients in your office. Consider the rooms they’ll have to pass through to reach your office and what they may see along the way. A separate entrance is ideal, but not always possible, so at least make sure that your entire home is tidy and inviting when having guests or clients over.
5. If possible, choose a room with plenty of natural light. It’s proven that sunlight boosts energy levels and reduces stress on your eyes. To create a warm and inviting office choose a space with large windows.

How to Analyze Your Market

Market research is an important part of running any successful business. You can never do enough research on your customers or clients. Knowing their needs and motivations will help you focus on what you can do to serve them better.

Here are some tips on analyzing your market:

1. Develop relationships with your customers or clients. The best way to understand your market is to get to know them on a personal level. Introduce friends and family to your products or services and get their honest opinions.
2. Determine needs and motivations in certain terms. When seeking or tracking data, be as specific as possible. Precise numbers and concrete examples are always preferable to uncertainties.
3. Be wary of customer/client questionnaires or comment cards. At best, a questionnaire will provide you with some honest insight into your market. At worst, you’ll come off as annoying and needy and risk losing their business. Decide whether you’ll willing to take this risk?
4. Scout your competition. Locate the leaders in your field and follow their example. How did they get so successful? What are their shortcomings? If you can add value to their products or services, you should replicate their success.
5. Don’t lose touch. You should gather and reanalyze data as often as possible, or you risk alienating yourself from your market. Despite how much you think you may know about your customers or clients, you can never know enough.