Getting It Done Right

July is done and in the history books. Somehow you and I have survived the month. And how do I know this? You’re reading this article.

Summer 2010 will probably go down as one where I’ve begun to put much more flexibility into what I do. Not that as I as freelancer am not flexible, but like so many of us independent workers, we’re used to a fairly predictable schedule and/or way of working. Wake up in the morning, log on, respond to emails and start writing.

Likely, you work from home most of the time. Why hit the road when you don’t have to?

On the Road

But this summer I chose to do things differently. As the school year came to an end, I purchased a new laptop (Mac) and decided to take my work on the road. That decision wasn’t hard to make because our small home seems to be shrinking in size as our children grow. Plus, two active tweenies need to be able to “let loose” from time to time without worrying that they’re disturbing Daddy.

So, I’ve been packing up for part or most of the day and taking my computer to the library, coffee shop, cafe or other location where the seats are comfortable and the connection strong. One or both have been hard to achieve at various times, but I’ve managed to make it work.

I’ve also taken said laptop with me on successive trips in July–one personal, the other for business reasons–and found hooking up much easier in 2010 than 2009 and earlier years. It seems that a lot of businesses are getting with it and making Internet accessibility much easier. And free too.

Back to School

When the kids return to school in three weeks I’ll be heading out less often, but I expect I’ll still work away from home some. I’ve tossed around the idea of renting an office, but I don’t want to be locked into one location nor am I willing to shell out the bucks if I don’t have to.  If the economy was more stable I might consider making the commitment, but not now.

I’ve also taken a pair of road trips this year though I was shut out in 2009. Last year it was all about businesses conserving precious resources, but this year I noticed companies are carefully weighing their options and willing to do business if they believe that they can get some ROI in exchange. Yes, when my expenses are paid for I’ll hit the road from time to time.

Until then….

Photo Credit: Nino Barbieri

The 5 Steps Guide For New Bloggers

By Lior Levin

It certainly doesn’t take long before something hot on the Internet spreads like wildfire then the newbies joining the web only get to see the smoke. Take blogging for example, it has become so sophisticated that a newcomer interested in blogging is almost overwhelmed with all the information and where to start.

It is true that one can find anything on the Internet, and how to start blogging advice is no different. Another problem that arises though is that the interested party is often so enthusiastic about all there is to learn, that many times they are reading advice and information that dates back several years and they don’t even realize it.

Then when they go to apply what they have learned, it makes no sense and doesn’t work. This creates the makings for a real dilemma. What ends up happening is the would be blogger gives up and looks for something else to become confused about.

So what is the moral of the story here? Start at the beginning and say hello to blogging. Here are just a few basics to get the ball rolling. Once a newbie gets past this stage then they can consider themselves a blogger and leave some smoke behind for the next novice that comes along.

Step One:
Read some current articles and information that has a date on it about what blogging is about in general. Get a feel for it, then you will immediately start to generate your own blogging ideas about what you want to blog about.

Step Two:
Now you need to find some place to put your blog, so you need a blogging provider. Again do your homework. There are lots of them around and some are easier than others to use. Once thing you want is ease of use. This means they will have templates that you can use which is basically just filling in the blanks. Once you become a pro at blogging then you can progress onto the more elaborate concepts.

Step Three:
The easiest way to learn about blogging is from the pros. Once you have determined what it is you want to blog about then visit blogging sites that are in this niche. See how these established sites do it. If you have never posted to a blog before then now is the time to get your feet wet. You have a virtual voice so use it.

Step Four:
Once you get your blogging site set up then go back and visit the ones you were at in the above step and invite them to visit your blog, provided it is not a private blog site. Do it via comments, contact forms or messaging through twitter or facebook.

Step Five:
Research all the innovative ways to get your blog known. After all, blogging is not much fun if you are only blogging to yourself, its like a one way conversation.

When you look at it this way, blogging is not quite so overwhelming. There is a whole world out there waiting to hear about what you have to say, about anything you want to blog about, so go for it, here is your chance. Welcome to the world of blogging!

Author Information

Lior Levin is an owner of a SEO company working with a nursing wear brand called Milk Nursingwear and also working with a task management start-up.