(Written by guest contributor Joel Ownby) Accepting payment online for your products and services sounds like a pretty simple endeavor, and at a low level it is. Understanding what is happening behind the scenes is an entirely different proposition. Understanding the nuts and bolts of payment processing will grant you the ability to provide better customer service, generate more accurate cash flow and projection data, help you to better understand technical issues involving payment processing... Continue Reading

There is a new job description out there, one that probably wasn't around when your grandfather was crafting his career: life coach. What exactly is a life coach, and why would you need one? First of all, the term is somewhat fluid. You can call it what you will, but a life coach, mentor, personal consultant, etc. is someone who helps you with some aspect of your life that you can't quite see clearly and... Continue Reading

Whether you are just starting out in learning the web / mobile app development ropes, or are looking to hire someone to do your development for you, it can be useful to know what basic developer tools there are out there. For the purpose of this article, we define a developer as the following: Someone who writes code for launching a PTA offer, develops an app, or writes software. Developers know the different programming or... Continue Reading

What's the real secret to getting things done? While much of the answer lies in things like motivation and daily habits, you also can't ignore the value of the tools you use every day to do the work. We polled our staff to find out what's running on their machines here at the office and at home. What we found is that our office has some universal solutions, and then seemed to split departmentally. So... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Tim Golen) A few months ago I got a new laptop. It had nothing but Windows 7 installed on it. The first thing you always have to do with a new computer is to install all the software that you need to be productive. An office suite is one of the key pieces of software that just about any business person needs. The ability to create word documents, presentations, access email... Continue Reading

The business / office environment has come a long way from even ten years ago. Gone are the days when everyone needed their own extension, and soon the office itself just may become obsolete. In the meantime, here are some things that are essential to the efficiency of a modern office, no matter if you employ 100 people or just yourself. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Fletcher Groeneman) This article is a continuation of our series on branding. (Read Part 1 and Part 2.) By now you have drawn up a list that effectively describes exactly what you want your product to accomplish. You have swallowed your pride and presented your loved ones with this list and allowed them to refine and tweak your dreams. Finally, you have compared this list with products already on the market... Continue Reading

Perhaps it is the way creatives are wired or the difficulties of collaborative projects, but too often creatives have a file management system that is.....well, "creative." Organization is often not one of our strengths. Yet keeping advertisements, stock photography, designs, proofs, versions, illustrations, and production files organized will maximize your efficiency and your ability to collaborate with all the members of your team. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Chris Harper) Live video broadcasts using Ustream and podcasts each have their pros and cons. I've had some experience with both, and I want to share with you what I see as the plusses and minuses of each. In the end, you can decide which method might be best suited for your needs. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Sarah Beek) It's no secret that Twitter and Facebook can be huge time sinks. Tweeting, keeping up with the tweets of others, keeping an eye on what people are saying about you, it goes on all day (and night, depending on your market). So how do you actually get any work done? And if you are using social media to promote a cause or a business, how do you make sure... Continue Reading

The other nght, several Internet marketers departed from the conference room at the Hawthorn Suites in Orlando to enjoy each other's company away from the seminar setting. Destination? Universal Studios CityWalk... Continue Reading

We are in the process of designing a new home which we intend to build this year. A few years ago, we bought two acres of land in our city. We have been holding on to it and think the time is ripe to place a home on the property. My father is an architect, so he is drawing the plans. Thanks Dad! But I thought it would be a fun thing to play with... Continue Reading

I love Amazon.com. Even though I probably shouldn't shop there due to the amount of smut they sell, I still love shopping there. But they really ticked me off today. I ordered a copy of Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer Suite 6.0 a couple weeks back. We are thinking of building a new home and I wanted to get an idea of what it might look like. Well, the program was not what I... Continue Reading

Over the past few months, I have helped several family members, friends and associates remove spyware from their computers. Often, people don't even realize they are infected with this insidious stuff. All they know is that their computers are running slower and those blasted pop up ads just keep coming. My son didn't know any better when he clicked on a popup ad for "free smilies". He meant well, but that one click managed to... Continue Reading